UK Allocates $514 Million For Royal Navy’s Red Sea Missile System Upgrade

The British Ministry of Defence said it would invest 405 million pounds in the upgrade to enhance a missile system that the Royal Navy currently uses to shoot down drones over the Red Sea.

Per a statement from the MoD, the Sea Viper Air Defence system will be enhanced with missiles with a new warhead and software that allows it to counter threats from ballistic missiles.

Based on what the MoD said, the contracts were given to the British branch of MBDA, a joint venture that owns missiles and is owned by BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo.

As the scenario in the Middle East keeps worsening, necessary measures must be taken to adapt and keep the UK, allies, and its partners safe, explained Grant Shapps, the defence minister. Sea Viper was leading this, being the weapon of choice of the Navy in the first-ever shooting down of one aerial threat in over 30 years.

British and the US naval forces based in the Red Sea have shot missiles and drones fired by the Houthi movement this month as the war between Hamas and Israel spilt out into the larger region.

Reference: Marine Link

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Source: Maritime Shipping News