South24 Center (Aden)

The Saudi-backed Nation Shield Forces have showcased a drone unit belonging to their First Division, offering one of the clearest public glimpses yet of the unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities being developed by anti-Houthi formations in Yemen.

A video released by the force’s media office on Friday evening (August 28) showed several drones and supporting field equipment alongside assembled military units.

The video was published under the slogan “Readiness Ahead of Zero Hour”, while the media office said drones had changed the dynamics of warfare.

The aircraft on display appeared to include small drones designed for reconnaissance and short-range attacks. However, the Nation Shield Forces disclosed no technical information about their models, range, payload, origin, or whether they had previously been used in combat operations.

The Nation Shield Forces were formally established by a decree issued by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi on January 29, 2023. The force is nominally under Al-Alimi’s direct authority, but its leadership is composed of southerners and it maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia. Its original nucleus was formed before the decree was issued.

The First Division is headquartered in Aden, with units deployed across Aden, Lahj, Al-Dhalea, and parts of Abyan, as well as in forward areas of Lahj near Taiz.

The display came less than two weeks after the Southern Giants Forces unveiled similar drone capabilities during military exercises, indicating a broader effort by anti-Houthi formations to develop their reconnaissance, targeting, and strike capabilities.

On August 18, the “Giants Falcons” units conducted a live-fire maneuver to test their combat readiness. The exercise involved reconnaissance and combat drones, radar monitoring systems, and air-defense networks.

According to footage and details released by the Giants Forces, the maneuver began with aerial reconnaissance and surveillance of hypothetical targets, followed by target identification and simulated strikes.

On August 27, the Giants Forces conducted another live-fire tactical exercise at the conclusion of a military training course. The drill simulated an offensive against hypothetical positions and fortifications, with drones used among the supporting assets.

Although the published footage is insufficient to independently verify the operational range or combat effectiveness of these systems, the parallel displays provide some of the strongest public indications to date that several forces opposed to the Iran-aligned Houthi militia are developing dedicated drone units.

The Nation Shield video was released amid repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks during August on Mocha in Taiz Governorate, as well as Marib and Hadramout.