UK Deploys Second Warship, HMS Diamond, To The Gulf Amid Rising Tensions

In reaction to growing tensions in the Middle East, the United Kingdom is sending HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, as a second warship to the Gulf. The UK is making this move to increase deterrence and fortify its regional presence.

The UK must strengthen its presence in the region, according to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, who cited today’s unstable and polarised global landscape.

In context with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has prompted reactions from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the deployment is meant to send a strong message to Iran and its allies.

Alongside three Royal Navy minehunters, HMS Diamond will join the frigate HMS Lancaster, which has been based in the Gulf since the previous year. Adding a destroyer is a way to strengthen deterrence and safeguard Britain’s security and interests against growing geopolitical threats.

Additionally, a task force headed by the UK will soon start patrols from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea. The protection of Europe’s vital submerged cables is the primary goal. This task force, comprised of seven ships, will work with allies to defend critical infrastructure that is shared from possible threats.

The Ministry of Defence emphasised how crucial HMS Diamond’s deployment is to maintaining merchant vessel confidence, promoting safe trade, and guaranteeing freedom of navigation. Every day, about fifty large merchant ships pass through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb; by contrast, twice as many pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Defence Secretary Shapps announced a second significant naval deployment closer. The task force will patrol from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea.

It comprises Royal Navy ships and soldiers from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which the United Kingdom leads. Countries including Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Latvia, Norway, and Sweden are involved in this historic cooperative operation.

Although no specific threat was stated, the UK and its allies in the JEF have recently focused on concerns regarding Russian surveillance ship activities near vital national infrastructure, such as wind farms and underwater cables.

References- BBC, Express

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Source: Maritime Shipping News