The inability of Royal Navy ships to strike the Houthis forced British warplanes based in Cyprus to make a gruelling 4,500km round trip to bomb targets in Yemen
Jan 29,
2024. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The UK Royal Navy's HMS Diamond reportedly lacks missile systems that can strike land targets, rendering it incapable of targeting Houthi positions.
UK Royal
Navy vessels in the Red Sea reportedly lack the missile systems to hit land
targets in Yemen, forcing Royal Air Force warplanes to travel thousands of
miles to hit Houthi positions.
The UK has
joined the US in efforts to secure commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea
following attacks by Houthi rebels on freighters allegedly linked to Israel.
The Daily
Telegraph reported that most "retaliatory strikes" on the Houthis
have been carried out by the US Navy destroyers, equipped with Tomahawk-guided
missiles, which have a significant advantage over the UK's naval forces in
terms of offensive capabilities.
A UK
defence source told The Daily Telegraph that HMS Diamond, stationed in the Red
Sea, is primarily an air defence destroyer. Its main role has been to counter
Houthi drones targeting shipping routes. The vessel's primary armament consists
of fixed artillery guns, which limits its offensive range and capabilities.
A former
senior defence chief described the situation as a "scandal and completely
unsatisfactory", saying constrained decision-making in the Royal Navy was
affecting its capabilities.
Head of the
UK Armed Forces, Tony Radakin, had previously warned the government about the
necessity of speeding up the acquisition processes for land attack missile
systems.
The
inability of Royal Navy ships to strike the Houthis forced British warplanes
based in Cyprus to make a gruelling 4,500km round trip to bomb targets in
Yemen.
"Equally,
the Royal Air Force has the capability to strike land targets with high
precision, which is why Typhoon aircraft strikes have reduced the Houthis'
ability to conduct these attacks," a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of
Defence has said.
Only one UK
vessel has had Norwegian-made Naval Strike missiles installed.
Army chiefs
have voiced concern about budget cuts seriously impacting the capabilities of
the British military to function properly, particularly given tensions with
Russia and China, and attacks on shipping.
A new
cruise missile system for British warships is due to be introduced in 2028.
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