Iran

[ORAC]

https://www.navylookout.com/hms-diam...e-middle-east/

HMS Diamond sent to the Gulf in response to rising tension in the Middle East

HMS Diamond will join US warships deployed in the Persian Gulf region as the risk of conflict and the threat to merchant shipping increases. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said “it’s critical the UK bolsters our presence in the region”.…

The despatch of HMS Diamond is a significant statement of UK support for the US actions to deter Iran. The USN also has very high regard for the air defence capabilities of the Type 45 although it is unclear exactly what role she will play. If she does not enter the Gulf, she could be employed to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden. The MoD says she is being deployed to help ensure the freedom of navigation of merchant vessels, around a hundred of which pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a typical day.

The Iranians have invested increasingly in UAVs, USVs, swarms of fast attack craft and mini-submarines. They are currently converting a merchant vessel into a large drone carrier complete with a ski ramp. The multi-faceted threat posed by missiles and non-conventional weapons and platforms in the Persian Gulf has never been more complex. There will be little opportunity for the carrier strike group to relax in such a demanding environment and relatively confined waters. Iran will, however, be forced to think twice about any further attempts to enflame conflict in the Middle East.

RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus (officially the Littoral Response Group, South) remain alongside in Limassol, Cyprus should they be needed, to support some kind of special forces or raiding operation, or more likely in a humanitarian aid or evacuation role. Increasingly it looks like they will not be required and it will be interesting to see if they resume their original planned passage through the Suez Canal and onto their forward base in Oman. Given the situation in the Red Sea, they would certainly require an escort and could possibly sail with HMS Diamond.

HMS Duncan continues to serve with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) in the Mediterranean and recently has been operating with the USS Gerald R Ford. There was speculation that Diamond would relieve her in this role but the Gulf appears to be the priority. HMS Duncan is due home for Christmas having already been away for a total of nine months of this year…..

One area of concern is HMS Diamond’s mechanical reliability. It is no reflection on the ship’s company but she has a track record of breaking down, including on her way to the Gulf in 2017 and during the CSG21 deployment. These issues have never been completely cured and Diamond has yet to undergo the Power Improvement Package…..