- December 16, 2023
UK Navy warship destroys suspected drone ‘targeting merchant shipping’ in Red sea – Times of India
NEW DELHI: A British Royal Navy warship has brought down a suspected drone in the Red sea, the Defence Secretary informed on the social media account X.
Taking to his Twitter, Grant Shapps said, “HMS Diamond has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea – destroying the target with a Sea Viper missile.”
The Red Sea lies between North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and connects the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal.
He also published a statement that read, “Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target.”
In a statement, he further stated that the ship recently arrived in the region to bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security.
“The recent spate of illegal attacks represents a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security in the Red Sea. The UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade.”
According to The Independent, earlier this month the US military said the Bahamas-flagged Unity Explorer, owned by a UK company, was among three commercial vessels targeted in an attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
On Friday Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, told all its vessels planning to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea to “pause their journey until further notice” after a missile attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship.
Taking to his Twitter, Grant Shapps said, “HMS Diamond has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea – destroying the target with a Sea Viper missile.”
The Red Sea lies between North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and connects the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal.
He also published a statement that read, “Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target.”
In a statement, he further stated that the ship recently arrived in the region to bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security.
“The recent spate of illegal attacks represents a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security in the Red Sea. The UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade.”
According to The Independent, earlier this month the US military said the Bahamas-flagged Unity Explorer, owned by a UK company, was among three commercial vessels targeted in an attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
On Friday Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, told all its vessels planning to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea to “pause their journey until further notice” after a missile attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship.
