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101-688: The G6 , sometimes denoted as the G6 Rhino , is a South African self-propelled howitzer . It was developed as a turreted, self-propelled variant of the G5 howitzer series , mating the gun to a six-wheeled mine -protected armoured chassis. Design work on the G6 began in the late 1970s to replace the obsolescent Sexton being retired from service with the artillery regiments of the South African Army . Serial production commenced between 1988 and 1999. At

202-817: A tank transporter . G6s entered service during the last two years of the South African Border War , frequently shelling positions held by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale . Their ability to bombard a target and change positions rapidly in less than two minutes, with minimal preparation, greatly reduced the threat posed by retaliatory Angolan air raids and counter-battery fire . A number of G6s were subsequently manufactured for export and purchased by Abu Dhabi and Oman . Export models included

303-570: A UAE-based newspaper reported that one of the Yemeni Jews, who emigrated to Israel in 2016, was fighting with the Houthis. In the same month a Kuwaiti newspaper, al-Watan , reported that a Yemeni Jew named Haroun al-Bouhi was killed in Najran while fighting with the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. The Kuwaiti newspaper added that the Yemeni Jews had a good relationship with Ali Abdullah Salah, who

404-422: A belief attributed to Jaroudism, a fundamentalist offshoot of Zaydism. The group has also exploited the popular discontent over corruption and reduction of government subsidies. According to a February 2015 Newsweek report, Houthis are fighting "for things that all Yemenis crave: government accountability, the end to corruption, regular utilities, fair fuel prices, job opportunities for ordinary Yemenis and

505-483: A book titled Malazim (Fascicles), a work treated by Houthis as more important than older Zaydi theological traditions, resulting in repeated disputes with established Zaydi religious leaders. The Malazim reflect a number of different religious and ideological influences, including by Khomeinism and revolutionary Sunni Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood . Hussein al-Houthi believed that

606-769: A cleric-led government after the model of Islamic Republic of Iran, for "we cannot apply this system in Yemen because the followers of the Shafi ( Sunni ) doctrine are bigger in number than the Zaydis". In 2018, the Houthi leadership proposed the establishment of a non-partisan transitional government composed of technocrats. Ali Akbar Velayati , International Affairs Advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , stated in October 2014 that "We are hopeful that Ansar-Allah has

707-518: A direct assault on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa . In May 2012, it was reported that the Houthis controlled a majority of Saada, Al Jawf, and Hajjah governorates; they had also gained access to the Red Sea and started erecting barricades north of Sanaa in preparation for more conflict. By September 2014, Houthis were said to control parts of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, including government buildings and

808-621: A few Komsomolets tractor-mounted 57   mm ZiS-2 guns early in the war. By 1943, the series of Samokhodnaya Ustanovka casemate-armored vehicles had started to appear at the front, starting with the SU-85 , and by late 1944 the SU-100 , which mounted powerful guns on modern chassis adopting the full-casemate enclosure of the crew compartment as the Germans had done with the StuG III. These had

909-493: A major nationalist force. When armed conflict for the first time erupted back in 2004 between the Yemeni government and Houthis, the President Ali Abdullah Saleh accused the Houthis and other Islamic opposition parties of trying to overthrow the government and the republican system. However, Houthi leaders, for their part, rejected the accusation by saying that they had never rejected the president or

1010-530: A meeting in Sanaa, but Hussein declined. On 18 June, Saleh sent government forces to arrest Hussein. Hussein responded by launching an insurgency against the central government but was killed on 10 September. The insurgency continued intermittently until a ceasefire agreement was reached in 2010. During this prolonged conflict, the Yemeni army and air force were used to suppress the Houthi rebellion in northern Yemen. The Saudis joined these anti-Houthi campaigns, but

1111-711: A mixed ideology with religious, Yemeni nationalist, and big tent populist tenets, imitating Hezbollah . Outsiders have argued that their political views are often vague and contradictory and that many of their slogans do not accurately reflect their aims. According to researcher Bernard Haykel, the movement's founder Hussein al-Houthi was influenced by a variety of different religious traditions and political ideologies, making it difficult to fit him or his followers into existing categories. The Houthis have portrayed themselves as national resistance, defending all Yemenis from outside aggression and influences, as champions against corruption, chaos, and extremism, and as representative for

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1212-562: A number of mass gatherings since the revolution. On 24 January 2013, thousands gathered in Dahiyan, Sa'dah and Heziez, just outside Sanaa, to celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi , the birth of Mohammed. A similar event took place on 13 January 2014 at the main sports' stadium in Sanaa. On this occasion, men and women were completely segregated: men filled the open-air stadium and football field in the centre, guided by appointed Houthi safety officials wearing bright vests and matching hats; women poured into

1313-496: A number of other countries such as Russia and Jordan through encrypted messages. The alliance between Saleh and the Houthi broke down in late 2017, with armed clashes occurring in Sanaa from 28 November. Saleh declared the split in a televised statement on 2 December, calling on his supporters to take back the country and expressed openness to a dialogue with the Saudi-led coalition. On 4 December 2017, Saleh's house in Sanaa

1414-400: A radio station. While Houthi control expanded to the rest of Sanaa, as well as other towns such as Rada' , this control was strongly challenged by Al-Qaeda . The Gulf States believed that the Houthis had accepted aid from Iran while Saudi Arabia was aiding their Yemeni rivals. On 20 January 2015, Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in the capital. President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

1515-505: A significant role throughout the Cold War era conflicts and in the 1991 Gulf War . Modern SP artillery is highly computerized, with the ability to self-survey firing positions using systems such as GPS and inertial navigation systems . This, in conjunction with digital fire control /ballistic computers and digital communications, allows individual guns to disperse over a wide area and still deliver rounds on target simultaneously with

1616-535: A simple rocket rack on the back, a cheap and crushingly effective weapon, provided area saturation was called for rather than accurate fire. The Axis powers had captured the Katyusha and made their own versions; Germany created the 8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer , while Romania developed the Mareșal tank destroyer , an early prototype of which was armed with a Katyusha. It also had self-propelled howitzer versions. After

1717-578: A specialist anti-aircraft variant with a GEC-Marconi Marksman turret and twin-barrelled 35mm autocannon. Chile briefly produced the G6 under licence as the CC-SP-45 , although this arrangement was later terminated after the system was not adopted by that country's armed forces. Iraq also manufactured its own domestic variant of the G6 as the Al Majnoon with technical assistance from Canadian artillery engineer Gerald Bull , which later evolved into

1818-436: A tracked chassis so they superficially resemble tanks. However, they are generally lightly armoured, which is insufficient to withstand direct-fire combat; nonetheless this protects their crews against shrapnel and small arms and therefore they are usually included as armoured fighting vehicles . Many are equipped with machine guns for defense against enemy infantry. The key advantage of self-propelled over towed artillery

1919-463: A wedding party if it was not broadcast by loadspeakers. When the party guests did not conform to this demand, the main wedding singer was arrested. Journalist Robert F. Worth stated that "many secular-minded Yemenis seem unsure whether to view the Houthis as oppressors or potential allies." In general, the Houthis' policies are often decided on a local basis, and high-ranking Houthi officials are often incapable of checking regional officers' powers, making

2020-400: Is a 120 mm automatic twin-barrelled, breech-loaded mortar turret. There are also numerous AFVs and even main battle tanks that can be equipped with a mortar, either outside or inside the cabin. The Israeli Merkava main battle tank carried a 60 mm mortar in the small troop compartment in the rear, which fired through an opening in the roof, allowing the crew to remain protected. This

2121-678: Is in solidarity with the Palestinians and aiming to facilitate entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip . On 31 October Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles at Israel, which were shot down by Israel's Arrow missile defense system. Israeli officials claimed that this was the first ever combat to occur in space . In order to end the attacks in the Red Sea, the Houthis demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel's blockade of

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2222-414: Is that it can be brought into action much faster. Before the towed artillery can be used, it has to stop, unlimber and set up the guns. To move position, the guns must be limbered up again and brought—usually towed—to the new location. By comparison, self-propelled artillery can stop at a chosen location and begin firing almost immediately, then quickly move on to a new position. This shoot-and-scoot ability

2323-561: Is very useful in a mobile conflict and particularly on the advance in open battlefields. Conversely, towed artillery was and remains cheaper to build and maintain. It is also lighter and can be deployed in areas that self-propelled guns cannot reach. Since the Vietnam War , heavy transport helicopters have also been used for rapid artillery deployment albeit at considerable expense and risk, mitigating one of towed artillery's disadvantages. Both self-propelled and towed artillery remain in

2424-458: The 4 South African Infantry Battalion . Operating as an independent battery, the three G6s were instrumental in the bombardment of the strategic Angolan airfield at Cuito Cuanavale . In this their crews were significantly aided by South African special forces acting as forward artillery observers near the airfield; on one occasion the G6s were able to destroy four Angolan Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s on

2525-659: The Al Saleh Mosque in Sanaa after Friday prayers. According to Zaid, the followers of Houthi's insistence on chanting the slogans attracted the authorities' attention, further increasing government worries over the extent of the Houthi movement's influence. "The security authorities thought that if today the Houthis chanted ' Death to America ', tomorrow they could be chanting 'Death to the president [of Yemen] ' ". In 2004, 800 BY supporters were arrested in Sanaa. President Ali Abdullah Saleh then invited Hussein al-Houthi to

2626-605: The Ansar Allah Movement , is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaidi Shias , with their namesake leadership being drawn largely from the Houthi tribe . Under the leadership of Zaidi religious leader Hussein al-Houthi , the Houthis emerged as an opposition movement to Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh , whom they accused of corruption and being backed by Saudi Arabia and

2727-727: The Brummbär ), leftover chassis from cancelled programs ( Elefant and Sturer Emil ); others were converted from battle-damaged tanks ( Sturmtiger ). The single most-produced armored fighting vehicle design for Germany in WW II, the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun, in 1936–1937 pioneered the later casemate-style fully enclosed armor that would be used on almost all late-war German self-propelled artillery and Jagdpanzer -format tank destroyers. The Soviets experimented with truck- and tank-based self-propelled weapons, producing

2828-504: The Gaza Strip . The Houthi movement attracts followers in Yemen by portraying themselves as fighting for economic development and the end of the political marginalization of Zaidi Shias, as well as by promoting regional political–religious issues in its media. The Houthis have a complex relationship with Yemen's Sunnis ; the movement has discriminated against Sunnis but has also allied with and recruited them. The Houthis aim to govern all of Yemen and support external movements against

2929-515: The Islamic gunpowder empires , especially those of Iran, especially in the rugged Iranian plateau , where the transportation of heavy cannons is difficult. The British Gun Carrier Mark I was the first example of a self-propelled gun, fielded in 1917 during World War I . It was based on the first tank , the British Mark I and carried a heavy field gun. The gun could either be fired from

3030-542: The M3 half track and M113 APC , to vehicles specifically intended to carry a mortar, such as the 2S31 Vena . The Israeli Makmat is a mortar carrier based on the M4 Sherman tank chassis. The Russian army uses a 2S4 Tyulpan (Tulip) self-propelled 240 mm heavy mortar. Patria Hägglunds , a joint venture between Finnish Patria and Swedish BAE Systems Hägglunds , manufactures AMOS (Advanced Mortar System), which

3131-819: The Marder I , using captured French Lorraine 37L tractors, the Marder II , using the Panzer II light tank chassis, and the Marder III , which was based on the Panzer 38(t) Czech chassis. These led to better-protected assault guns – Sturmgeschütz – with fully enclosed casemates , built on medium tank chassis. In the same way self-propelled anti-tank guns such as the Jagdpanzer IV and Jagdpanther were built. Some designs were based on existing chassis (such as

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3232-609: The Saudi-led naval blockade of Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, which humanitarian organizations argue has been the main contributing factor to the outbreak of famine in Yemen . The four-month long Battle of Aden (2015) occurred between 25 March 2015 and 22 July. According to a 2015 September report by Esquire magazine , the Houthis, once the outliers, are now one of the most stable and organised social and political movements in Yemen. The power vacuum created by Yemen's uncertain transitional period has drawn more supporters to

3333-733: The United Arab Emirates Defence Force to Aden during the Yemeni Crisis . The howitzers were landed in Aden by ship and escorted by a large Emirati armoured formation. They have since been used to shell Houthi militant positions in support of Emirati and allied Yemeni offensives carried out near Taiz . Self-propelled artillery In the past, self-propelled artillery has included direct-fire vehicles, such as assault guns and tank destroyers , which were typically well-armoured vehicles often based upon

3434-768: The United States . In 2003, influenced by the Lebanese Shia political and military organization Hezbollah , the Houthis adopted their official slogan against the United States, Israel, and the Jews. Al-Houthi resisted Saleh's order for his arrest, and was afterwards killed by the Yemeni military in Saada in 2004, sparking the Houthi insurgency . Since then, the movement has been mostly led by his brother Abdul-Malik al-Houthi . The organization took part in

3535-488: The Yemeni Revolution of 2011 by participating in street protests and coordinating with other Yemeni opposition groups . They joined Yemen's National Dialogue Conference but later rejected the 2011 reconciliation deal . In late 2014, the Houthis repaired their relationship with Saleh, and with his help they took control of the capital city. The takeover prompted a Saudi-led military intervention to restore

3636-554: The arsenals of many modern armies. During the Thirty Years' War , early 17th-century experiments were made with early types of horse artillery . Batteries towed light field guns where most or all of the crew rode horses into battle. The gunners were trained to quickly dismount, deploy the guns and provide instant fire support to cavalry, and act as a flexible reserve. The Russian army organized small units of horse artillery that were distributed among their cavalry formations in

3737-573: The "Houthification" of the education system to "instil Huthi values and mobilise the youth to join the fight against the coalition forces". However, the Houthis have been inconsistent in regards how to deal with forms of artistic expression which they disapprove of. The movement has allowed radio stations to continue broadcast music and content which the Houthis view as too Western, but also banned certain songs and harassed artists such as wedding musicians. In one instance which generated much publicity, Houthi policemen conditioned that music could be played at

3838-539: The "last exemplary" Zaydi scholar and leader was Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya ; later Zaydi imams were regarded as having deviated from the original form of Islam. The Houthis' belief in the "Quranic Way" also includes the rejection of tafsir (Quranic interpretations) as being derivative and divisive, meaning that they have a low opinion of most existing Islamic theological and juridical schools, including Zaydi traditionalists based in Sanaa with whom they often clash. The Houthis claim that their actions are to fight against

3939-739: The British Sexton (25 pdr) and the German Wespe and Hummel being typical examples. A different route was chosen by the Soviets, who did not develop a specialized indirect-fire vehicle, but following a tradition of dual-purpose towed artillery, built a series of versatile assault guns with indirect-fire capabilities (example ISU-152 ). A related and novel program was the development of the Soviet Katyusha self-propelled multiple rocket launchers , which were unarmored trucks with

4040-540: The Gaza Strip . In January 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom conducted airstrikes against multiple Houthi targets in Yemen. There is a difference between the al-Houthi family and the Houthi movement. The movement was called by their opponents and foreign media "Houthis". The name came from the surname of the early leader of the movement, Hussein al-Houthi, who died in 2004. Membership of

4141-584: The Houthi ideology "such as Muslim unity, prophetic lineages, and opposition to corruption [...] allowed the Houthis to mobilize not only northern Zaydis, but also inhabitants of predominantly Shafi'i areas." However, the group is known to have discriminated against Sunni Muslims as well, closing Sunni mosques and primarily placing Zaydis in leadership positions in Houthi-controlled areas. The Houthis lost significant support among Sunni tribes after killing ex-President Saleh. Many Zaydis also oppose

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4242-467: The Houthi movement has often acted as advocates for Zaydi revivalism in Yemen. Although they have framed their struggle in religious terms and put great importance in their Zaydi roots, the Houthis are not an exclusively Zaydi group. In fact, they have rejected their portrayal by others as a faction which is purportedly only interested in Zaydi-related issues. They have not publicly advocated for

4343-488: The Houthi organisations has been described by Adam Baron of the European Council on Foreign Relations as a reaction to foreign intervention. Their views include shoring up Zaydi support against the perceived threat of Saudi-influenced ideologies in Yemen and a general condemnation of the former Yemeni government's alliance with the United States, which, along with complaints regarding the government's corruption and

4444-644: The Houthis won against both Saleh and the Saudi army. According to the Brookings Institution , this particularly humiliated the Saudis, who spent tens of billions of dollars on their military. The Houthis participated in the 2011 Yemeni Revolution , as well as the ensuing National Dialogue Conference (NDC). However, they rejected the provisions of the November 2011 Gulf Cooperation Council deal on

4545-518: The Houthis' political ideology has gradually shifted from "heavily-religious mobilisation and activism under Husayn to the more assertive and statesmanlike rhetoric under Abdulmalik", its current leader. With strong support received by Houthis from the predominantly Zaydi northern tribes, the Houthi movement has often been described as tribalist or monarchist faction in opposition to republicanism. Regardless, they have managed to rally many people outside of their traditional bases to their cause, and became

4646-435: The Houthis, regarding them as Iranian proxies and the Houthis' form of Zaydi revivalism an attempt to "establish Shiite rule in the north of Yemen". In addition, Haykel argued that the Houthis follow a "a highly politicised, revolutionary, and intentionally simplistic, even primitivist interpretation of [Zaydism]'s teachings". Their view of Islam is largely based on the teachings of Hussein al-Houthi, collected after his death in

4747-543: The Houthis. Many of the formerly powerful parties, now disorganised with an unclear vision, have fallen out of favour with the public, making the Houthis—under their newly branded Ansar Allah name—all the more attractive. Houthi spokesperson Mohamed Abdel Salam stated that his group had spotted messages between the UAE and Saleh three months before his death. He told Al-Jazeera that there was communication between Saleh, UAE and

4848-440: The Saudi invasion. The movement's expressed goals include combating economic underdevelopment and political marginalization in Yemen while seeking greater autonomy for Houthi-majority regions of the country. One of its spokesperson Mohammed al-Houthi claimed in 2018 that he supports a democratic republic in Yemen. The Houthis have made fighting corruption the centerpiece of their political program. The Houthis have also held

4949-492: The StuG III, and the immense 152 mm howitzer-armed, Soviet ISU-152 , both fully casemated in their design, are examples of this type of self-propelled artillery. All major nations developed self-propelled artillery that would be able to provide indirect support while keeping pace with advancing armoured formations. These were usually lightly armoured vehicles with an open-topped hull; the American M7 Priest ,

5050-510: The US. The Houthis have been accused of expelling or restricting members of the rural Yemeni Jewish community , which had about 50 remaining members. Reports of abuse include Houthi supporters bullying or attacking the country's Jews. Houthi officials have denied any involvement in the harassment, asserting that under Houthi control, Jews in Yemen would be able to live and operate freely as any other Yemeni citizen. "Our problems are with Zionism and

5151-560: The United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Because of the Houthis' ideological background, the conflict in Yemen is widely seen as a front of the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy war . According to Ahmed Addaghashi, a professor at Sanaa University , the Houthis began as a moderate theological movement that preached tolerance and held a broad-minded view of all the Yemeni peoples. Their first organization, "the Believing Youth" (BY),

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5252-510: The War. This mounted an 18-pounder field gun, capable of both the usual artillery trajectories and high-angle anti-aircraft fire , on a Vickers medium tank chassis. It was designed and built for investigations into a general approach to warfare where all arms, infantry and artillery included, would be able to operate over the same terrain as tanks. The Red Army also experimented with truck- and tank-mounted artillery, but produced none in quantity. At

5353-491: The adjacent indoor stadium, led inside by security women distinguishable only by their purple sashes and matching hats. The indoor stadium held at least five thousand women—ten times as many attendees as the 2013 gathering. The Houthis are said to have "a huge and well-oiled propaganda machine". They have established "a formidable media arm" with the Lebanese Hezbollah's technical support. The format and content of

5454-511: The advantage of being relatively cheap to build and mounting a larger gun compared to the conventional tank that they were derived from, but at the expense of flexibility. Heavily armoured assault guns were designed to provide direct-fire support to infantry in the face of enemy defenses. Although often similar to tank destroyers, they carried larger-caliber guns with weaker anti-armor performance but capable of firing powerful HE projectiles. The German 105 mm howitzer-armed StuH 42 based on

5555-523: The alleged expansion of Salafism in Yemen, and for the defence of their community from discrimination. In the years before the rise of the Houthi movement, state-supported Salafis had harassed Zaydis and destroyed Zaydi sites in Yemen. After their rise to power in 2014, the Houthis consequently "crushed" the Salafi community in Saada Governorate and mostly eliminated the al-Qaeda presence in

5656-426: The areas under their control; the Houthis view al-Qaeda as "Salafi jihadists" and thus "mortal enemies". On the other side, between 2014 and 2019, the Houthi leadership have signed multiple co-existence agreements with the Salafi community; pursuing Shia-Salafi reconciliation. The Yemeni government has often accused the Houthis of collaborating with al-Qaeda to undermine its control of southern Yemen. In general,

5757-403: The chassis of a tank . In lieu of the standard tank's general-purpose main gun that fired both high-explosive and anti-tank ammunition, direct-fire vehicles had specialized roles, with assault guns providing close fire-support for infantry and tank destroyers mounting an anti-tank gun to take on enemy armour. Modern self-propelled artillery vehicles often mount their main gun in a turret on

5858-434: The country's crisis. Though not opposed to these plans per se , they have declined any plans which would in their eyes marginalize the northern tribes politically. Meanwhile, their opponents have asserted that the Houthis desire to institute Zaydi religious law, destabilising the government and stirring anti-American sentiment. In contrast, Hassan al-Homran, a former Houthi spokesperson, has said that "Ansar Allah supports

5959-455: The deadliest terrorist attack in Yemen's history. On 27 March 2015, in response to perceived Houthi threats to Sunni factions in the region, Saudi Arabia along with Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan led a gulf coalition airstrike in Yemen . The military coalition included the United States which helped in planning of airstrikes, as well as logistical and intelligence support. The US Navy has actively participated in

6060-487: The decision and to demand resignation of the incumbent government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi for "state-corruption". These protests developed into the 2014–2015 phase of the insurgency. Similarly, following 2015 Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthis which claimed civilians lives, Yemenis responded to the Abdul-Malik al-Houthi 's call and took to streets of the capital, Sanaa, in tens of thousands to voice their anger at

6161-533: The earlier TOT ( time on target ) concept. The necessary rapid reloading is made possible by an automated ammunition feed system. Rockets have greater ranges and carry much more complex " shells " than guns, since there is less restriction on size (calibre). A multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) can be used to saturate a large area with sub-munitions. Houthi The Houthi movement ( / ˈ h uː θ i / ; Arabic : الحوثيون , romanized :  al-Ḥūthiyūn [al.ħuː.θi.juːn] ), officially

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6262-659: The early 18th century. While not forming large batteries and employing only lighter 2- and 3-pound guns, they were still effective and inflicted serious losses to Prussian units in the Seven Years' War . This inspired Frederick the Great to organize the first regular horse artillery unit in 1759. Other nations quickly realized the capability of the new arm and by the start of French Revolutionary Wars in 1790s Austria, Hannover, Portugal, Russia, France, Great Britain and Sweden had all formed regular units of horse artillery. The arm

6363-707: The end of World War II , the assault gun fell from use with a general trend towards a single heavy gun-equipped vehicle, the main battle tank , although some wheeled AFVs such as the South African Rooikat , the Maneuver Combat Vehicle of the JGSDF , and the US M1128 MGS , among others, are still developed with large-caliber, direct-fire weapons. Self-propelled indirect-fire artillery remains important and continues to develop alongside

6464-559: The end of Western influence". In forging alliances, the Houthi movement has been opportunistic, at times allying with countries it later declared its enemy such as the United States. In general, the Houthi movement has centered its belief system on the Zaydi branch of Islam , a sect of Islam almost exclusively present in Yemen. Zaydis make up about 25 percent of the population, Sunnis make up 75 percent. Zaydi-led governments ruled Yemen for 1,000 years up until 1962. Since its foundation,

6565-488: The establishment of a civil state in Yemen. We want to build a striving modern democracy. Our goals are to fulfil our people's democratic aspirations in keeping with the Arab Spring movement." In an interview with Yemen Times , Hussein al-Bukhari, a Houthi insider, said that Houthis' preferable political system is a republic with elections where women can also hold political positions, and that they do not seek to form

6666-467: The followers of Baháʼí Faith of being "satanic" and agents for the western countries, citing a 2013 fatwa issued by Iran's supreme leader. During their campaigns against both the Saleh and Hadi governments, Houthis used civil disobedience. Following the Yemeni government's decision on 13 July 2014 to increase fuel prices, Houthi leaders succeeded in organising massive rallies in the capital Sanaa to protest

6767-509: The general-purpose field gun. Many vehicles have used ancillary smoke mortars for local defense, which project one or more smoke grenades in a pattern that allows them to lay down a smoke screen some distance in order to conceal the vehicle from enemy observers. Mortar carriers are vehicles which carry a mortar as a primary weapon. Numerous vehicles have been used to mount mortars, from improvised civilian trucks used by insurgents , to modified infantry fighting vehicles , such as variants of

6868-548: The governments of America and Israel. Ali al-Bukhayti , the spokesperson and official media face of the Houthis, rejected the literal interpretation of the slogan by stating in one of his interviews that "We do not really want death to anyone. The slogan is simply against the interference of those governments [i. e., U.S. and Israel]". In the Arabic Houthi-affiliated TV and radio stations they use religious connotations associated with jihad against Israel and

6969-444: The ground as they attempted to take off. The heightened artillery threat to the Cuito Cuanavale airfield eventually forced the Angolan pilots to relocate their operations to another airstrip at Menongue , which was beyond the range of the G5 and G6 but severely diminished their ability to time and execute their missions, given Menongue's distance from the actual fighting. However, they also began making South African artillery positions

7070-404: The ground that "it divide[d] Yemen into poor and wealthy regions" and also in response to assassination of their representative at NDC. As the revolution went on, Houthis gained control of greater territory. By 9 November 2011, Houthis were said to be in control of two Yemeni governorates (Saada and Al Jawf) and close to taking over a third governorate (Hajjah), which would enable them to launch

7171-487: The group had between 1,000 and 3,000 fighters as of 2005 and between 2,000 and 10,000 fighters as of 2009. In 2010, the Yemen Post claimed that they had over 100,000 fighters. According to Houthi expert Ahmed Al-Bahri, by 2010, the Houthis had a total of 100,000–120,000 followers, including both armed fighters and unarmed loyalists. As of 2015, the group is reported to have attracted new supporters from outside their traditional demographics. The Houthi movement follows

7272-405: The group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi 's televised speeches are said to have been modeled after those of Hezbollah's Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah . Following the peaceful youth uprising in 2011, the group launched its official TV channel, Almasirah . "The most impressive part" of Houthi propaganda, though, is their media print which includes 25 print and electronic publications. One of

7373-408: The gun and its crew. Many of the early designs were improvised, and the lessons learned led to better designs later in the war. For example, the first British design, " Bishop ", carried the 25 pdr gun-howitzer on a Valentine tank chassis, but in a mounting that severely limited the gun's performance. It was replaced by the more effective Sexton . The first battery of self-propelled artillery guns

7474-525: The increased firepower provided by modern mobile howitzers is the latest version of the 155 mm G6 howitzer , the G6-52. It can fire up to six rounds in quick succession that will land nearly simultaneously. This is achieved by firing the shells at different trajectories so that the first round has the longest flight time and the last round the shortest. This is an improvement of the concept of multiple-round simultaneous impact (MRSI), itself an enhancement of

7575-541: The interests of marginalized tribal groups and the Zayidi sect. Haykel argues that the Houthi movement has two central religious-ideological tenets. The first is the " Quranic Way", and which encompasses the belief that the Quran does not allow for interpretation and contains everything needed to improve Muslim society. The second is the belief in the absolute, divine right of Ahl al-Bayt (Prophet's descendants) to rule,

7676-450: The internationally recognized government , leading to an ongoing civil war which included missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and its ally United Arab Emirates . Following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war , the Houthis began to fire missiles at Israel and to attack ships off Yemen's coast in the Red Sea , which they say is in solidarity with the Palestinians and aiming to facilitate entry of humanitarian aid into

7777-402: The latter at least disempower more radical jihadists. The Houthis field their own women security force and have a Girl Scouts wing. However, it has been also been reported that Houthis harass women and restrict their freedoms of movement and expression. In regards to culture, the Houthis try to spread their views through propaganda using mainstream media, social media, and poetry as well as

7878-462: The marginalisation of much of the Houthis' home areas in Saada, constituted the group's key grievances. Although Hussein al-Houthi, who was killed in 2004, had no official relation with Believing Youth (BY), according to Zaid, he contributed to the radicalisation of some Zaydis after the 2003 invasion of Iraq . BY-affiliated youth adopted anti-American and anti-Jewish slogans, which they chanted in

7979-579: The most versatile form of Houthi mass media are the zawamil , a genre of primarily tribal oral poetry embedded in Yemen's social fabric. The zamil , rooted in cultural tradition, has been weaponised by the Houthis as a tool of propaganda and remains one of the most popular and rapidly growing platforms of Houthi propaganda, sung by popular vocalists like Issa Al-Laith and disseminated through various social media platforms including YouTube, Twitter and Telegram. The Spectator describes Houthi zawamil as its most successful part of their propaganda, stressing

8080-402: The movement's claimed virtues of piety, bravery and poverty in comparison with the corruption, wealth and hypocrisy of their adversaries, the Saudi-led coalition, and Arab states allied to Israel. Houthis also utilize radios as an effective means of spreading influence, storming radio stations and confiscating equipment of radio stations that do not adhere to what they're allowed to broadcast by

8181-645: The much larger and more sophisticated Al Fao . The first G6 prototype appeared in 1981, during the height of the South African Border War . Four engineering development models were being tested with the South African Defence Force by the mid-1980s. In October 1987, the South African government ordered all the G6s deployed to Angola for combat trials as part of Operation Hooper . One suffered an engine failure, so only three actually reached Angola, where they joined expeditionary troops of

8282-599: The occupation of Palestine, but Jews here have nothing to fear", said Fadl Abu Taleb, a spokesman for the Houthis. Despite insistence by Houthi leaders that the movement is not sectarian, a Yemeni Jewish rabbi has reportedly said that many Jews remain terrified by the movement's slogan. As a result, Yemeni Jews reportedly retain a negative sentiment towards the Houthis, who they allege have committed persecutions against them. According to Israeli Druze politician Ayoob Kara , Houthi militants had given an ultimatum telling Jews to "convert to Islam or leave Yemen". In March 2016,

8383-528: The other guns in their battery. These capabilities also increase survivability manyfold as modern SP artillery can displace and avoid counterbattery fire much more quickly and effectively and, if desired, more frequently than previously possible. In conjunction with modern logistic systems (where the SP gun's systems can track and report on ammunition consumption and levels) with similar navigation systems and palletized load dropping / lifting capabilities mean that

8484-558: The outbreak of World War II, virtually all artillery was still being moved around by artillery tractors or horses. While the German Blitzkrieg doctrine called for combined-arms action, which required fire support for armoured units, during the invasion of Poland and France this was provided by the Luftwaffe using Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' dive-bombers effectively acting as artillery. Conventional towed howitzers followed. As

8585-412: The primary targets of their raids, forcing the G6 crews to constantly shift positions after each bombardment. The G6s themselves were considered so valuable that an air defence contingent from South Africa's 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment was subsequently attached to the battery for the remainder of the campaign. The G6 is not known to have seen combat again until 2015, when a single battery was deployed with

8686-452: The rapid displacement can occur without significant disruption to actually firing missions as it is possible for the ammunition to keep up with the guns. A modern battery of six guns, each firing 43 kg projectiles with a burst firing speed of four rounds per minute, can deliver over a tonne of ordnance per minute for up to four minutes. This is an immense weight of fire , which can be delivered with very high accuracy. One example of

8787-410: The republican system, but were only defending themselves against government attacks on their community. After their takeover of northern Yemen in 2014, the Houthis remained committed to republicanism and continued to celebrate republican holidays. The Houthis have an ambivalent stance on the possible transformation of Yemen into a federation or the separation into two fully independent countries to solve

8888-666: The restoration of the old Zaydi imamate , although analysts have argued that they might plan to restore it in the future. Most Yemenis have a low opinion of the old imamate, and Hussein al-Houthi also did not advocate the imamate's restoration. Instead, he proposed a "Guiding Eminence" ( alam al-huda ), an individual descended from the Prophet who would act as a "universal leader for the world", though never defined this position's prerogatives or how they should be appointed. The movement has also recruited and allied with Sunni Muslims; according to researcher Ahmed Nagi, several themes of

8989-833: The same role in Yemen as Hezbollah has in eradicating the terrorists in Lebanon". Mohammed Ali al-Houthi criticized the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates as "betrayal" against the Palestinians and the cause of pan-Arabism . The Houthis' treatment of women and their restrictions on the arts has been subject of debate. On one side, the movement has stated that it defends women's rights to vote and take public offices, and some feminists have fled from government-held areas into Houthi territories as

9090-440: The time of its introduction, the G6 was considered one of the most mobile self-propelled howitzers in service. Its chassis was engineered to be mine-resistant and blastproof, allowing it to survive multiple TM-46 detonations during trials. The G6 was conceived as a wheeled rather than a tracked vehicle for this purpose, as well as to allow it to deploy long distances by road without consuming excessive quantities of fuel or requiring

9191-454: The treatment of civilians dependent on the area. The group's slogan reads as following: " God Is Great , Death to America , Death to Israel , Curse on the Jews , Victory to Islam ". This motto is partially modelled on the motto of revolutionary Iran , which reads "Death to U.S., and death to Israel ". Some Houthi supporters stress that their ire for the U.S. and Israel is directed toward

9292-589: The vehicle, or removed and set up as normal. In effect, the carrier replaced the use of a separate horse team or internal combustion engine-powered artillery tractor , and allowed a new way for the gun to be used. The next major advance can be seen in the Birch gun developed by the British for their motorised warfare experimental brigade (the Experimental Mechanized Force ) after the end of

9393-492: The war progressed, most nations developed self-propelled artillery. Some early attempts were often no more than a field gun or anti-tank gun mounted on a truck—a technique known in the British Army as carrying portee . These were mobile, but lacked protection for the crew. The next step was to mount the guns on a tracked chassis (often that of an obsolete or superseded tank) and provide an armoured superstructure to protect

9494-478: Was assaulted by fighters of the Houthi movement, according to residents. Saleh was killed by the Houthis on the same day. In January 2021, the United States designated the Houthis a terrorist organization, creating fears of an aid shortage in Yemen, but this stance was reversed a month later after Joe Biden became president. On 17 January 2022, Houthi missile and drone attacks on UAE industrial targets set fuel trucks on fire and killed three foreign workers. This

9595-734: Was at that time allied with the Houthis and were fighting in different fronts with the Houthis. Al-Houthi has said through his fascicles: "Arab countries and all Islamic countries will not be safe from Jews except through their eradication and the elimination of their entity." A New York Times journalist reported being asked why they were speaking to a "dirty Jew" and that the Jews in the village were unable to communicate with their neighbors. The Houthis have been accused of detaining, torturing, arresting, and holding incommunicado Baháʼí Faith members on charges of espionage and apostasy, which are punishable by death. Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi has targeted Baháʼís in public speeches, and accused

9696-548: Was created when Hauptmann Alfred Becker , a mechanical engineer and battery captain in the 227th Infantry Division , mounted his 10.5 cm leFH 16 howitzers on the chassis of captured British Vickers Mk.VI light tanks to mobilize his guns. His 10.5 cm leFH 16 Geschützwagen Mk VI 736 (e) was the forerunner to German tracked field guns such as the Wespe and Hummel . The Germans also mobilized their anti-tank guns, using light, obsolete or captured tracked vehicles. Examples include

9797-464: Was employed throughout the Napoleonic Wars and remained in use throughout the entire 19th century and into the first half of the 20th century, when advances in weapons technology finally made it obsolete. Zamburak was a specialized form of self-propelled artillery from the early modern period . It featured small swivel guns to be mounted and fired from the back of camels. It was used by

9898-612: Was founded in 1992 in Saada Governorate by either Mohammed al-Houthi, or his brother Hussein al-Houthi . The Believing Youth established school clubs and summer camps in order to "promote a Zaidi revival" in Saada. By 1994–95, between 15,000 and 20,000 students had attended BY summer camps. The religious material included lectures by Mohammed Hussein Fadhlallah (a Lebanese Shia scholar) and Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General of Hezbollah ). The formation of

9999-547: Was in the presidential palace during the takeover but was not harmed. The movement officially took control of the Yemeni government on 6 February, dissolving parliament and declaring its Revolutionary Committee to be the acting authority in Yemen. On 20 March the al-Badr and al-Hashoosh mosques came under suicide attack during midday prayers, and the Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility. The blasts killed 142 Houthi worshippers and wounded more than 351, making it

10100-402: Was the first specific attack to which the Houthi admitted, and the first to result in deaths. A response led by Saudi Arabia included a 21 January air strike on a detention centre in Yemen, resulting in at least 70 deaths. Following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war , the Houthis began to fire missiles at Israel and to attack ships off Yemen's coast in the Red Sea , which they say

10201-465: Was useful for fighting nearby infantry, as a mortar is shorter-ranged and cheaper to shoot than the large main gun, as well as being better suited to wounding enemy infantry taking cover behind objects. However, since the mortar is only a secondary weapon in this case, the Merkava is not considered a mortar carrier. Self-propelled artillery remains important in the equipment of many modern armies. It saw

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