The Ministry of Defence has announced that RAF Typhoon fighter jets will fly defensive missions over Saudi Arabia to protect the kingdom's cities and infrastructure from Houthi missile and drone attacks, in the first deployment of British combat aircraft to the conflict.
The Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, said in an operational update published on Tuesday that he had approved the package, which also includes an RAF A400M transport aircraft, British military advisers to Saudi staff officers and an extension of the air-to-air refuelling support agreed in September.
The decision marks a significant step up in Britain's military involvement. When the MoD announced an RAF Voyager tanker for Saudi Arabia on 22 September, following a request from the Saudi government, the package contained no fighter aircraft. The UK's other contribution to date has been ground-based air defence, including the Sky Sabre system announced in March and a battery in place since 2022.
The ministry said the UK "will fly defensive counter air missions to support the protection of Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure against aerial attack, using RAF Typhoon fighter jets. These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis."
Mr Streeting said: "The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable. The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region."
He added: "That's why today I have approved further UK military support. RAF Typhoons will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace from drones and missiles. This builds on the UK equipment and personnel we already have in the country to defend against Houthi air attacks."
The announcement follows Houthi strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 and 11 October, for which the group claimed responsibility. The BBC reported that the 10 October strike killed 13 people and injured 308, and described it as the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. Other outlets have given differing figures for the two strikes combined.
The ministry has not said how many Typhoons will deploy, where they will be based or when missions will begin. A Downing Street spokesperson told reporters the aircraft will intercept missiles and drones launched against Saudi Arabia and will not strike inside Yemen, according to CNN.
While the MoD describes the whole package as defensive, its own statement says the refuelling extension covers Saudi "defensive air operations including to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen that threaten the Saudi and Yemeni people". CNBC noted that the refuelling support therefore extends to strikes on Houthi targets. According to the Associated Press, Mr Streeting told Parliament in a written statement that the refuelling mission is being extended by 90 days.
The ministry linked the deployment to the domestic economy, saying: "Escalating violence in the Gulf can have a serious impact at home in the UK - driving up the cost of living, disrupting energy supplies and costs to British businesses. It is also causing devastation to the civilian population in Yemen."
AP reported that Mr Streeting's written statement said "the government remains clear that there is no long-term military solution to the conflict in Yemen."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said earlier this month that Britain was prepared to consider a Saudi request for additional support, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia has also sought assistance from France, Pakistan and Egypt, according to AP, which said the United States, which bombed the Houthis under both the Biden and Trump administrations, has declined to intervene this time.
Egypt's parliament on Monday delayed for a second day a vote on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's request to authorise military support for the kingdom.
Neither the Saudi government nor the Houthis had responded publicly to the British announcement on Tuesday evening.
Join the Discussion
Have something to say? Join the conversation!
Sign in to share your thoughts and engage with other readers.
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this article!