LONDON, May 12 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Britain will deployautonomousmine huntingequipmentandcutting-edgecounterdrone systems,along with Typhoon jets and HMS Dragonas part of afuture defensive mission tosecurefreedom of navigationin the Strait of Hormuz.
The defensive mission, which would become operationalwhen conditionsallow, is backed by £115m new funding formine-huntingdrones andcounter-drone systems.
Duringa virtual summitof Defence Ministers, with representation from over40nationsinvolved in the MultinationalMilitary Mission, the Defence Secretary alsoreaffirmedtheUK's leadership, including as part of a multinationalHQtocoordinateefforts.
The UK's contributionto the multinational missionwill include a cutting-edgeautonomous kit, as part of theRoyal Navy's shift to aHybrid Navy. Other nations also utilised the virtual summit to announce their respective capability contributions to the Multinational Military Mission.
TheUKforce package will include:
* Advanced autonomous mine huntingequipment, including capabilities to detect and defeat mines.
* The Royal Navy'smodular'Beehive'systemwhich candeliverhigh-speed, autonomousKrakendrone boatsallowingthemultinational forcetosense,track,andidentifypotential threatsanddefeat them.
* UK Typhoon jets,battle-provenin the region,ready to conductair patrolsover the Strait of Hormuz.
* AdvancedBritish military mine-clearance specialists,who have been preparing in the UK to conduct mine-clearing operations.
* HMS Dragon deploying to the Middle East to be ready for any mission to secure theStrait of Hormuz.It'scounter drone systems include thecutting-edgeSea Viper system.
These capabilities will enable theUK to make meaningful contributions to be shouldtheyberequired.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
The UK is playing a leading role to secure the Strait of Hormuz, and we aredemonstratingthat today with newcutting-edgekit to protect our interests and secure the Strait.
New funding for autonomous mine-hunting and counter-drone systems,ouradvancedTyphoon jets,andHMS Dragon arestrong and clearcommitments- commitmentstostrengthen the confidence of commercial shippingandreduce the burden of the conflict on people at home.
With our allies,this multinationalmissionwill be defensive, independent, andcredible.
HMS Dragon isalreadyon her wayto theMiddle East, havingundergoneadditionaltraining and preparation to ensure that her crew are ready,includingfurthercalibratingher advancedsystems.This will ensure that theair defence ship isready for potentialfutureoperations in the Strait.
RFA Lyme Bayalso continues tobe upgraded bythe RoyalNavy to addnewcutting-edgeuncrewed equipment, allowing it to be used as a 'mothership' for autonomous systems, ifrequiredfor operations in the Strait ofHormuz.
These contributions complement the UK's existing defensive operations in the region,withover 1000UKpersonnelacross theregion,including counter-drone teams andfast jetsquadrons,whichhave playedan important rolein protectingBritish nationalsand our partners in the region.
Themultinationalplan is strictly defensive in nature and is designed to restore confidence for commercial shipping along the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical trade routes through which a fifth of the world's oil passes.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
