British destroyer HMS Diamond thwarts drone attack on merchant ship in Red Sea
9:21 AM EST, December 16, 2023
The British navy destroyer HMS Diamond intercepted a drone late Friday to Saturday night, Eastern Time, that aimed an attack on one of the merchant ships in the Red Sea.
Shapps reported that the HMS Diamond "successfully destroyed" the suspicious drone using a single Sea Viper type ground-to-air missile.
"The ship recently arrived in the region to bolster international efforts to secure maritime activities. The recent wave of unauthorized attacks poses a direct threat to international trade and maritime security in the Red Sea. Great Britain remains committed to preventing these attacks to safeguard the freedom of world trade," said Shapps.
British destroyer intercepts a drone, as reported by London
The Defense Ministry did not disclose the nationality of the ship that was putatively the target, nor did they reveal who launched the drone.
Regarding the deployment of HMS Diamond, a Type 45 missile destroyer, to the Persian Gulf, Great Britain announced on November 30th. The destroyer joined the frigate HMS Lancaster and three mine-detecting ships that had been stationed there since the previous year.
Since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, there has been a surge in attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, targeting, among others, merchant ships in the Red sea.
