UK plans $514 million upgrade for missiles used in Red Sea defence
Britain’s Ministry of Defence yesterday announced a £405 million ($514 million) programme to improve the missile system used by the Royal Navy to shoot down drones fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels at commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The Sea Viper will be upgraded with a new warhead and software that enables it to counter missiles, the ministry said.
“As the situation in the Middle East worsens, it is vital that we adapt to keep the UK, our allies and partners safe,” British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said.
“Sea Viper has been at the forefront of this, being the navy’s weapon of choice in the first shooting down of an aerial threat in more than 30 years.”
The contract for the missiles upgrade was won by the British division of MBDA, a joint venture between Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Last week, Mr Shapps visited HMS Diamond in the Red Sea.
The Diamond, three US destroyers and a French warship comprise the current US-led international task force Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it was concerned about the escalation of hostilities between the Houthis and the US and its allies in the Red Sea, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said yesterday.
“Of course we are very worried,” Prince Faisal told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS yesterday.
“We are in a very difficult and dangerous time in the region, and that’s why we are calling for de-escalation,” he said.
Asked if there could be no normal ties with Israel without a path to a credible and irreversible Palestinian state, Prince Faisal said: “That’s the only way we’re going to get the benefit.
“So, yes, because we need stability and only stability will come through the resolving the Palestinian issue.”
Most of the world’s large shipping companies are avoiding the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, choosing to reroute vessels travelling from Asia to Europe and vice versa round the Cape of Good Hope.
“We will only return [to the Red Sea] when we deem the passage safe and secure, this is still not the case yet,” said Nils Haupt, a director at Hapag-Lloyd.