United Kingdom: HMS Diamond, one of the most advanced warships of the UK, is returning to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to safeguard global shipping against Houthi attacks.
Earlier, HMS Richmond joined Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international collaboration to guard commercial shipping from Houthi attacks. The ship successfully defended against a Houthi attack in the southern Red Sea by shooting down two attack drones using Sea Ceptor missiles. Notably, this is the first time a UK warship used the Sea Ceptor missile in combat.
UK operations in Yemen are part of a more comprehensive response to the Houthi attacks, which includes restrictions on the smuggling of arms into Yemen, sanctions on the Houthis’ membership and targeted strikes on Houthi military targets.
Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary stated that, “Protecting shipping around the world is one of the Navy’s key tasks and this deployment shows how our highly skilled sailors and advanced warships are helping to keep our sea lanes safe. Britain continues to be at the forefront of the international response to the Houthis’ dangerous attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed the lives of international mariners. I thank the crew of HMS Richmond for their incredible work and am confident that HMS Diamond will continue to stand up for freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers.”
HMS Richmond is equipped with a Sea Ceptor missile system for protection against airborne threats. The ship will soon return to the UK via Saudi Arabia for repairs and resupply.
HMS Diamond was in the Red Sea area in December and January. The destroyer came under fire in three separate attacks by Houthi rebels and destroyed nine drones using its missile system and guns. The warship sailed 20,000 nautical miles since November, while its Wildcat helicopter flew over 53 hours of sorties in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, making its crew the busiest in the Royal Navy.
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