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Royal Navy shoots down missile for first time since Gulf War

Shapps said the latest Houthi attack was an example of how dangerous the world was becoming and how “non-state actors were now being supplied with very sophisticated weapons” from states such as Iran…reports Asian Lite News

A British Royal Navy destroyer shot down a ballistic missile on Wednesday for the first time since the first Gulf War in 1991, the UK’s defense secretary told The Times newspaper.

In a report published Thursday, Grant Shapps told the newspaper that HMS Diamond used its “Sea Viper” missile system to target the weapon, which Yemen’s Houthi militia said they used to target two American ships in the Gulf of Aden and an Israeli vessel in the Indian Ocean.

The Iran-backed group said its missiles targeted US ship Maersk Yorktown, an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, its military spokesman Yahya Sarea confirmed.

It is the first such attack from the Yemeni militia in two weeks in the region, where Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers have been deployed to protect commercial ships since the Houthis initiated strikes on global shipping in November last year in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent Israeli navigation or any navigation heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as in the Indian Ocean,” Sarea said on Wednesday.

Shapps said the latest Houthi attack was an example of how dangerous the world was becoming and how “non-state actors were now being supplied with very sophisticated weapons” from states such as Iran.

His comments came after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week pledged to increase spending on British defense to 2.5 percent of national income, something Shapps said was “so vital” given continued tensions in the Middle East.

US-led coalition forces shot down four drones and an anti-ship missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, American authorities said Thursday, as the Iran-backed group announced strikes against US and Israeli ships.

A Greek vessel deployed in the Gulf of Aden as part of an EU naval coalition also shot down a drone off Yemen’s coast early on Thursday, the Greece general staff said in a statement.

The incidents follow a lull in attacks by the Houthis, who launched dozens of missile and drone strikes targeting shipping since November, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.

Despite the drop in attacks in recent weeks, late on Wednesday the Houthis said they “are continuing to take further military actions against all hostile targets in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that just before noon Yemen time (0900 GMT) on Wednesday a coalition vessel “successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM)” launched from Houthi-controlled areas of the country.

ALSO READ-Royal Navy deployed to deliver supplies to Gaza

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-Top News UK News

Royal Navy deployed to deliver supplies to Gaza

The government said it will provide aid deliveries worth up to £9.7 million, equipment support to the corridor to maximise the levels of aid reaching those people who desperately need it…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the government announced military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a navy ship to join the lifesaving mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In a press release, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, “The UK Government is today announcing a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to join the life-saving mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.” “The ship, alongside new UK aid and British expertise, will support the establishment of an international humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, supported by many of our partner governments and the UN, and is expected to be operational in early May,” it added.

Apart from deploying navy ship, the government also committed to provide aid deliveries worth up to £9.7 million, equipment support to the corridor, like forklift trucks and storage units and expertise, to maximise the levels of aid reaching those people who desperately need it. In the press release, the government said that it is doing everything possible to get more aid into Gaza by air, land and sea. It further said that the Royal Air Force conducted five airdrops along the coastline of Gaza, safely delivering over 40 tonnes of food supplies, including water, flour and baby formula. The government said that it continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire as the fastest way to get hostages safely home.

According to the press release, land deliveries in Gaza will be scaled up with the opening of the Erez crossing, which the UK wants to see reopened permanently. In a press release, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, “Supporting the Jordanian humanitarian land corridor from Amman into Gaza and in partnership with the World Food Programme, the UK’s largest delivery of aid crossed the border on 13 March which saw more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid being distributed on the ground to families in need.” Foreign Secretary David Cameron has called the situation in Gaza “dire” and the prospect of famine “real”. He said that UK remains committed to getting aid to those who desperately need it. “The situation in Gaza is dire and the prospect of famine is real. We remain committed to getting aid to those who so desperately need it. Along with the US, Cyprus and other partners, we are setting up a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to get aid in as quickly and securely as possible,” Cameron said in the release. He called land access crucial to delivering aid at the scale now required. He stated that the opening of Erez and the Port of Ashdod is hugely welcome and something the UK has long been calling for. Cameron noted that Israel has agreed to increase the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to a minimum of 500 a day. He further said, “We need to continue to explore all options, including by sea and air, to ease the desperate plight of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.” Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said, “A Royal Navy ship is now en-route to the Eastern Mediterranean to support international efforts to get life-saving aid to Gaza.” Shapps said armed forces are playing a central role in delivering aid, with the Royal Air Force conducting five airdrops of food supplies for the people of Gaza. He added, “We are now going further, working with international partners to set up a humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza. A new temporary pier on the coast of Gaza will be critical to supporting these efforts, by hosting cargo ships to deliver aid by sea.” Meanwhile, the United Nations humanitarian aid chief called the war in Gaza a “betrayal of humanity” as the war between Israel and Hamas is reaching its six-month mark, CNN reported.

In a statement shared on X, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, marked the “terrible milestone.” He stated, “Rarely has there been such global outrage at the toll of conflict, with seemingly so little done to end it and instead so much impunity.” He said a moment of remembrance and mourning is “not enough,” and instead urged for a “reckoning” as the people of Gaza face “death, devastation and now the immediate prospect of a shameful man-made famine,” according to CNN report. He expressed grave concerns over the “already fragile” aid operation in Gaza, which is continually undermined by bombardments, insecurity and a lack of access, CNN reported. Griffiths said, “On this day, my heart goes out to the families of those killed, injured or taken hostage, and to those who face the particular suffering of not knowing the plight of their loved ones.” His statement comes after a week that saw the death toll in Gaza exceed 33,000 and an Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers. The IDF termed the incident as a ‘grave mistake’.

ALSO READ-UAE delivered 4,630 tonnes of relief supplies to Gaza

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N-missile test fails for second time in eight years

This is highly embarrassing for both the UK and the US manufacturer of the Trident missile. British tests of Trident missiles are rare, not least because of the costs. The price tag of each missile is around £17m…reports Asian Lite News

The test firing of a Trident missile from a Royal Navy submarine has failed, for the second time in a row. The latest test was carried out from HMS Vanguard off the east coast of the United States.

The missile’s booster rockets failed and it landed in the sea close to the launch site, according to the Sun, which first reported the malfunction. Trident missiles carry the UK’s nuclear warheads – the weapon of last resort.

This is highly embarrassing for both the UK and the US manufacturer of the Trident missile. British tests of Trident missiles are rare, not least because of the costs. The price tag of each missile is around £17m.

Both the Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and the head of the Navy were on board HMS Vanguard when she fired the unarmed test missile off the East coast of America in January. It was supposed to have flown several thousand miles before landing harmlessly in the Atlantic between Brazil and West Africa. Instead the missile dropped into the ocean near to where it was launched.

The previous test from a UK submarine in 2016 also ended in failure, when the missile veered off course. At the time, the Sunday Times reported that the test fire was launched from HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida.

The paper said the Trident II D5 missile was intended to be fired 5,600 miles (9,012 km) to a sea target off the west coast of Africa but veered towards the US. The cause of what went wrong remains top secret, the paper reported, but quoted a senior naval source as saying the missile suffered an in-flight malfunction after launching out of the water.

In a statement the Ministry of Defence admitted an anomaly had occurred in the most recent launch. But it also claimed that the HMS Vanguard and its crew had been “proven fully capable” in their operations, and the test had “reaffirmed the effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent”.

The statement added that Trident was the “most reliable weapons system in the world”, having completed more than 190 successful tests. Trident is the name of Britain’s system of nuclear weapons, and includes submarines, missiles and warheads.

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-Top News UK News

Royal Navy gets a mine-hunting ‘mother ship’   

Operated by specialist teams on board, these innovative systems will allow the Royal Navy to protect UK waters, also providing support to the North Atlantic and European waters if required…reports Asian Lite News

A specialist ship bought to support Royal Navy mine-hunting operations – a mother ship to launch drones to find and destroy undersea threats – has arrived in Plymouth today.

When deployed, the platform will support the safeguarding of UK waters from the threat of mines at sea, operating a range of uncrewed systems that will help keep personnel at a safe distance.

Based at His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, the 96.8 metres long vessel – the length of two Olympic swimming pools – will work side-by-side with autonomous mine-hunting systems already operated by the Royal Navy out of Faslane under Project Wilton.

Purchased from Island Offshore, the vessel – currently named MV Island Crown, but due to be renamed as it joins the fleet – arrived at HMNB Devonport, where it will undergo minimal conversion work, primarily to support installation of military communication systems and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) operations, before being handed over to the RFA later this year.

Defence Procurement Minister, Alex Chalk KC, said, “This is another significant step forward in the modernisation of Royal Navy capabilities and use of autonomous systems to complement our crewed fleet. This vessel will play a crucial role in the detection of undersea threats, keeping our personnel out of harm’s way while they conduct vital operations.”

Delivered at pace, the capability will assure freedom of access for the UK ships and submarines (including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent), while crucially reducing risk to personnel.

Operated by specialist teams on board, these innovative systems will allow the Royal Navy to protect UK waters, also providing support to the North Atlantic and European waters if required.

Commodore Steve Prest, Director Navy Acquisition, said, “The delivery of this ship is an important step in the Navy’s transformation to conducting mine countermeasures using distributed offboard systems-of-systems. The ship will be used to extend the range of our Maritime Autonomous Systems from coastal waters to conducting offshore survey operations in Defence of the homeland.”

The uncrewed systems will include the joint French-UK Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) system, the Combined Influence Sweep (SWEEP) system and Medium Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (MAUVs).

The purchase of the £40 million ship was carried out by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the MOD.

DE&S Director General Ships, Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, said, “Our team undertook extensive research and market analysis to identify a vessel for the Royal Navy that would meet the vital capability it needs, and could be delivered at pace whilst also provide value for money to the taxpayer. The result of that agile working is the delivery of a highly effective ship which will be converted to purpose at HMNB Devonport. Once militarised, it will play a key role in countering the evolving threats posed by mines at sea.”

The ship is intended to enter service in Spring 2023.

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-Top News UK News

UK announces RAF and Royal Navy support to Qatar World

The Qatari Emiri Air Force is overseeing air security for the World Cup, delivering the majority of operations…reports Asian Lite News

The Ministry of Defence will support Qatar with military capabilities to counter terrorism and other threats to the tournament. This will include maritime security support from the Royal Navy, advanced venue search training, operational planning and command and control support, and further specialist advice.

The Joint Typhoon Squadron, also known as 12 Squadron, is based at RAF Coningsby and is operated by RAF and QEAF personnel. During the deployment they will support counter-terrorism efforts through air security operations.

Since their formation as a joint squadron in June 2020, 12 Squadron have exercised regularly in Qatar and the World Cup deployment co-insides with a pre-planned deployment.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said, “Making sure citizens from across the world can enjoy attending the World Cup, Britain and Qatar will join forces to provide air policing in the skies above the tournament. I am delighted that our joint squadron with the Qatari Emiri Air Force of Typhoons will patrol the airspace during the tournament.”

Defence cooperation with Qatar has been long-standing. Qatar remains the only partner with whom the RAF operates joint squadrons – 11 Squadron Qatari Emiri Air Force, the Joint Hawk Training Squadron at RAF Leeming, and 12 Squadron, the Joint Typhoon Squadron at RAF Coningsby.

The partnerships aim to provide RAF personnel with access to increased aircraft flying hours, give the Qatari Emiri Air Force access to world-class RAF accredited training, and see long-term investment in RAF infrastructure and training facilities.

The Qatar Air Programme comprises of a series of contracts between the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF). Qatar’s contract with BAE Systems is for 24 Typhoons, 9 Hawk jet trainers and a bespoke support and training package, alongside a contract with MBDA for an associated weapons package. These contracts are collectively worth in excess of £6bn and are supporting and sustaining thousands of jobs in the UK.

The Qatari Emiri Air Force is overseeing air security for the World Cup, delivering the majority of operations. The UK’s contribution will add expertise and capability, in part gained through the UK’s Olympic experience in 2012. It is a demonstration of our strong defence relationship, and further enhances the UK and Qatar’s ability to tackle our shared security challenges –contributing to regional stability and protecting mutual prosperity and security.

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