Navy poised to respond to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as flagship aircraft carrier passes through Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
Plans have been drawn up for F-35 fighter jets to launch strikes against Houthi camps should HMS Prince of Wales come under a bombardment as it passes through a choke point in the Red Sea.
Downing Street has also given the elite Special Boat Service and Royal Marines permission to launch a rescue mission if any fighter pilot is shot down, according to Whitehall sources.
HMS Prince of Wales will shortly pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on its way to a deployment in the Pacific.
It is understood to have 18 F-35 planes on board.
HMS Prince of Wales will shortly pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on its way to a deployment in the Pacific
The Houthi, a militant group in Yemen aligned with Iran, has launched more than 500 attacks on ships in support of Hamas.
The 65,000-ton HMS Prince of Wales will be protected by HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 destroyer boasting the Sea Viper defence system.
HMS Prince of Wales recently sailed through the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and Italy, to hone its response to being bombarded by drones and missiles.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We do not comment on routing for operational security reasons.'
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Daily Mirror
33 minutes ago
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Major pledge on Britain being 'ready to fight' in face of China threats
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Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
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The Guardian
6 hours ago
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