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OSMP Collection

US munitions used in Yemen 2025

On March 15th, 2025, the Trump administration in the U.S. launched a major bombing campaign against the Houthi militant and political group in Yemen, codenamed Operation Rough Rider (ORR). It followed a similar campaign under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden – codenamed Operation Poseidon Archer – which began after the Iran-backed Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea in late 2023, saying it was in ‘solidarity’ with Gaza. However, the number of strikes is significantly higher under ORR, with the U.S. declaring striking more than 1,000 targets hit as of April 29. A significant number of images of munitions have been posted online – many by pro-Houthi sources. This page gathers together images of U.S. munitions from ORR that have been reviewed and added to the OSMP archive.

 

Methodology

This collection contains all images of U.S. munitions in Yemen since March 15th, 2025. Images from Yemen of munitions believed to have been fired by the Houthis or other militant groups are not included. It also includes images of U.S. fighter aircraft equipped with munitions in the Red Sea taking off for strikes in Yemen, as well as munitions on board U.S. warships participating in the campaign against the Houthis.

You can view all images from Yemen here.

Images in collection

47

Munitions in collection

Analyst Note:
This image shows various remnants from GBU-39 air-delivered bombs, including two fuze wells. Each GBU-39 has only a single fuze well, indicating that this picture shows the remnants of at least two different GBU-39 bombs. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image and the related entries show fragments of an AGM-84 Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) series missile. AGM-84 SLAM-ER missiles are AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missiles (SLAM) that incorporate certain upgrades, including wings to increase the missile's range. The AGM-84 series include the anti-ship ‘Harpoon’ variants, from which the SLAM and SLAM-ER series are derived. As a result, many remnants will be similar or identical between variants. The wing remnant here is diagnostic, however. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a fragment of a RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) series missile's WDU-36/B warhead. The WDU-36/B warhead is a penetrator warhead for the TLAM, and is one of several available warhead options for TLAM series missiles. The complete "WDU" designation isn't visible, but the part number (3123AS921) is associated with the WDU-36/B. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows an American F/A-18 fighter aircraft armed with two AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-delivered bombs taking off to conduct strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. The F/A-18 likely has two more AGM-154-series munitions carried on the opposite side of the aircraft, for a total of four bombs. The JSOW has multiple variants which are fitted with different warheads, including a submunition payload (AGM-154A and AGM-154B models), BLU-111 500-pound bomb (AGM-154A-1), and a Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge (BROACH) multi-stage penetrator warhead (AGM-154C or AGM-154C-1). All variants are externally identical without markings, with the exception that the AGM-154C and C-1 have a small reflective window on the bottom of the nose for the terminal infrared (IR) seeker. The munitions in the image are most likely AGM-154A-1 or AGM-154C-series bombs, due to the lack of reported submunitions following the strikes. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows an unexploded WDU-45/B, the second stage or penetrator warhead (also called a ‘follow-through’ warhead), of the Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge (BROACH) multi-stage warhead system used in the AGM-154C variant of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-delivered bomb. The first stage is a shaped-charge warhead designed help the second stage penetrate hardened targets before detonating. The Shadow/SCALP-EG missile also uses a multi-stage BROACH system, but with larger warheads. (ARES)