Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond shot down two drones launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi group in the Red Sea, marking the latest incident in the area.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps revealed that the warship used its Sea Ceptor missiles to fend off the attack overnight.
According to the US Central Command, a total of 15 drones were taken down by coalition vessels and aircraft during attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden early on Saturday morning.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated: “The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation.”
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Type 23 frigate and international allies “fully repelled” a Houthi drone attack, with no injuries or damage sustained.
The MoD praised Richmond’s crew for their “exemplary manner” and reiterated the UK was “unwavering in our position that we will take the action necessary to protect innocent lives and the global economy”.
The Houthis, who are based in Yemen, have justified their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as a response to events in Gaza, despite the targeted merchant vessels often having little or no connection to Israel.
These attacks on vessels travelling through the Red Sea have led to ships rerouting around southern Africa instead of using the Suez Canal between Europe and Asia, increasing costs and posing a potential risk to the global economy.
The US Central Command announced that American and coalition forces took action after deciding the “large scale uncrewed aerial vehicle” attack “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels”.
