A British warship, HMS Diamond, is showing off new ‘kill marks’ after shooting down hostile aircraft.
The ship was seen with silhouettes of nine downed drones on its side after defending ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks last month.
The Type 45 destroyer returned to Gibraltar at the weekend with the ‘kill marks’ after fighting off Iran-backed rebel attacks.
The symbols show that the drones were seven Samad-variant kamikaze drones, one Mersad and one Shahed-136 (Wa-aed).
The Royal Navy helped stop an attack on commercial shipping lanes by Houthis on January 9.
The UK Ministry of Defence said: “Overnight HMS Diamond alongside US vessels repelled the largest and most complex attack by Houthis in the Red Sea to date.
“Nearly 15 percent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea. Attacks to commercial shipping jeopardise the movement of goods worldwide.”
HMS Richmond has now taken over from HMS Diamond in the Red Sea. ‘Kill marks’, or victory marks, are symbols put on the side of a military aircraft to show an aerial victory achieved by the pilot or crew.
This tradition started during World War I, grew during World War II and often took the form of the roundel or national flag of the defeated aircraft’s country.
