A Royal Navy destroyer has shot down a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group for the first time.
HMS Diamond was defending a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday when it used its Sea Viper missile system to destroy the Iranian-made weapon, which was fired from Yemen.
Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said it was the first time a Royal Navy warship had intercepted a missile in combat since the Gulf War in 1991. It is the first time the navy has shot down a ballistic missile in combat.
Shapps said: “A commercial ship came under attack by a missile and HMS Diamond shot down that missile using Sea Viper.”
He said the attack demonstrated how dangerous the world was becoming and how non-state actors were now being supplied with “very sophisticated weapons” from states such as Iran.
“That gives an indication of a changed world and why the 2.5 per cent is so vital,” he said, referring to Rishi Sunak’s commitment to spend billions of pounds more on defence by 2030.
Although it has not been confirmed which missile the Houthis used, it is understood the group has been firing Iranian-made Fateh missiles at vessels in the Red Sea. These include missiles from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons.Also included is the Zolfaghar, a road-mobile missile capable of striking targets at a distance of between 300 and 700 km (186 and 435 miles), according to experts. Some of the Fateh missiles have anti-ship capabilities.
The Houthis announced on Wednesday that they had targeted the Maersk Yorktown ship and an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden.
HMS Diamond is presently deployed in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to
deter Houthi attacks and help protect commercial vessels, which have come under increasing attack since the Israel-Hamas war began in October last year.
The ship took over from HMS Richmond in March. During its deployment HMS Richmond successfully repelled a Houthi drone attack in the southern Red Sea, shooting down two attack drones using Sea Ceptor missiles.
Beforehand HMS Diamond was in the region and came under under fire in three separate attacks by Houthi rebels, destroying nine drones using the world-class Sea Viper missile system and guns.
HMS Diamond is equipped with the Sea Viper system, which employs the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, known for their precision and long-range capabilities. The ship also has Phalanx machineguns and 30mm cannons on each side of the ship. The Phalanx can fire more than 3,000 rounds a minute. The crew have also used the 30mm cannon to shoot down a Houthi drone.
According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, which they say are in support of the Palestinians.
Attacks on commercial vessels have become less common since the rebels were targeted by a US-led airstrike on targets in Yemen.