# Saudi SKYWASP Kamikaze Drones Reportedly Hit Sanaa in First Use of Homegrown Long‑Range UAV

*Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 10:05 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-19T10:05:28.550Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18284.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Reports say Saudi‑made SKYWASP kamikaze drones, modeled on Iran’s Shahed‑136 and built by Saudi‑U.S. joint venture SR2Vector, struck Houthi‑controlled Sanaa. SKYWASP is Saudi Arabia’s first domestically produced long‑range delta‑wing drone, with an estimated range of about 1,500 km.

Saudi Arabia appears to have used its new domestically produced long‑range drone in an attack on Yemen’s capital.

Reports from Yemen say the Houthi‑controlled city of Sanaa was hit on 18 September by SKYWASP kamikaze drones. SKYWASP is Saudi Arabia’s first home‑grown long‑range loitering munition, a Shahed‑136‑style delta‑wing unmanned aerial vehicle built by SR2Vector, a Saudi‑U.S. joint venture. Its range is estimated at roughly 1,500 kilometres.

If these reports are borne out, this would mark the first documented use of SKYWASP against targets in Sanaa. For Houthi forces, it signals that Riyadh is fielding its own long‑range strike drones in a conflict where they have relied heavily on Iranian‑supplied systems.

For Saudi Arabia, SKYWASP represents a step in plans to localise defence production, including complex systems such as loitering munitions. Using the drone in combat also serves as a live test of its performance.

The appearance of a Saudi‑produced analogue to Iran’s Shahed‑136 in the same regional conflict adds another layer to the drone race in the Middle East.

Clear imagery of wreckage, official confirmation, or detailed technical analysis tying damage in Sanaa to SKYWASP fragments will be key to confirming this reported debut. Reactions from Houthi forces, and any sign that other regional actors accelerate their own long‑range drone programmes, will show how much this shifts the balance.