Overview
- Defence Secretary John Healey, visiting the region Tuesday, confirmed Sky Sabre will deploy to Saudi Arabia this week to counter missile and drone threats.
- The Saudi deployment includes a Royal Artillery battery plus the system’s radars, control node and missile launchers, which the MoD says will plug into Saudi and regional air‑defence networks.
- The UK has extended RAF Typhoon operations in Qatar and sent short‑range systems across the Gulf, with the Lightweight Multirole Launcher in Bahrain and Rapid Sentry and the RAF’s ORCUS counter‑drone kit operating in Kuwait.
- Ministers frame the posture as protective rather than offensive, and say the Prime Minister has allowed limited US use of UK bases for specific defensive strikes on missile sites that threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The MoD reports Iran has launched more than 3,500 missiles and drones across the Gulf, and RAF crews have logged over 1,280 defensive flying hours to help safeguard bases, energy facilities and civilians.