The UK Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has shot down a missile fired by the Yemen-backed Houthi militia while protecting international shipping in the Red Sea region, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 26 April 2024.
The crew of HMS Diamond used the ship’s Sea Viper aid defence missile system to shoot down the Houthi missile, which was targeting a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on 24 April. A press release issued by US Central Command noted that “a coalition vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden. The ASBM was likely targeting the MV Yorktown: a US-flagged, owned and operated vessel with 18 US and four Greek crew members.
Writing on X/Twitter, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps noted that the engagement was the first time a Royal Navy warship had shot down a hostile missile in combat since the 1991 Gulf War.
Thanking the destroyer’s crew, Shapps added, “The UK continues to be at the forefront of the international response to the Iranian-backed Houthis’ dangerous attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed the lives of international mariners.”
A Royal Navy press release on 25 April cited the commanding officer of HMS Diamond, Commander Peter Evans, as stating, “I’m immensely proud of the ship’s company, whose professionalism meant they were able to react in a split second to defeat the threat today. As ever, Diamond is ready to protect sea-farers and ensure the freedom of the seas.”
HMS Diamond has operated in the Red Sea region since March, having taken over from the Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond. During its deployment HMS Richmond successfully repelled a Houthi bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack in the southern Red Sea, shooting down two UAVs using Sea Ceptor missiles.
The 25 April Royal Navy press release noted that HMS Diamond previously operated in the region in December and January, maintaining a near-constant presence in the ‘high threat area’ of the Red Sea. The destroyer came under fire in three separate attacks by Houthi rebels during that time, successfully destroying nine UAVs using its Sea Viper missiles and 30 mm guns.
