Rocket and Drone Attacks

Rockets | ACLED applies the word ‘rocket’ to describe all rocket-propelled weapons (thus including rockets and missiles, whatever their definition, but excluding projectiles such as mortar shells). Rockets are further categorized as the following:

• Guided rockets | Rockets equipped with a guidance system (e.g. cruise missiles)
• Unguided rockets | Rockets with no guidance system (e.g. katyusha rockets)
• Unspecified rockets | Information not available as to the rocket type

Drones | Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are aircrafts with no crew on board. For military purposes, they are used in two main ways: 1) as loitering munitions, or ‘suicide drones;’ and 2) as ‘proper’ reusable aircrafts capable of returning to the base after accomplishing a task. ACLED reflects this distinction using the following categories:

• Suicide drone | One-way attack UAVs
• Multi-use drone | UAVs used for surveillance or to launch/drop weapons
• Unspecified drone | Information not available as to the drone type

WBIED | Water-borne improvised explosive devices (WBIEDs), also known as unmanned surface vessels (USV) or drone boats, are bomb-laden boats operating on water surface without a crew.

The weapon systems dashboard offers the following features. It is possible to focus on specific governorates of Yemen and obtain ‘Admin 1’-level statistics by clicking on the relevant areas on the map. Events on the map are associated with a color legend describing the event type. The bar graph in the top right corner of the dashboard displays the overall number of events including the use of rockets, drones, and WBIEDs.

Filters on the left allow users to define a time range and analyze trends in more detail. Additionally, users can select a subset of events based on two main variables: 1) the weapon type (displayed as a check box in the ‘Weapon Type Filter’ section and activated using the ‘Run Filter’ button); 2) the actor carrying out the attacks (displayed in the ‘Actor Information’ dropdown list). 

Weapon type filters are cumulative, allowing users to additionally filter by a subtype of rocket or drone and weapon range if desired. ‘Filters must be activated using the ‘Run Filter’ button whenever changed. The ‘Clear Filter’ button allows users to reset to the default view showing all weapon types.’ Actors, instead, are selected one by one or collectively from the dropdown list. Once filters are applied, the resulting figures are reflected in the bottom-left section of the dashboard displaying the affected actors, and in the bottom-right box reporting event and fatality numbers.