On 30 May 2024 UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighters operating out of RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus joined US forces for another strike operation against the Houthi militia in Yemen, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced.
“On 30 May UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against Houthi military facilities to degrade their ability to persist with their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which have thus far killed innocent merchant mariners from Vietnam and the Philippines, damaged several merchant ships, and sunk the bulk carrier Rubymar,” the MoD stated.
“Intelligence had confirmed two locations near Hudaydah as being involved with the Houthi anti-shipping attacks, with a number of buildings identified as housing drone ground control facilities and providing storage for very-long-range drones, as well as surface-to-air weapons used to impede coalition operations to safeguard shipping in the region,” the MoD added. “Furthermore, a set of Houthi facilities at Ghulayfiqah, further south on the Yemeni coast, had also been identified as being involved in the command and control of their anti-shipping campaign. Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s therefore conducted strikes on the target buildings at these three locations using Paveway IV guided bombs.”
The MoD noted that RAF Voyager tankers provided air refuelling support to the Typhoons during the operation.
As well as the UK providing warships for patrols in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden region to protect shipping, RAF Typhoons operating out of Cyprus have now joined strike assets from US Central Command (CENTCOM) on five occasions to conduct attacks on Houthi targets, their first such operation occurring on 11 January 2024.
The Houthis’ capacity to attack shipping in the region has not been curtailed, however. For example, CENTCOM reports noted the Houthis launching several bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship ballistic missiles in the days following the 30 May US/UK air strikes.
