LONDON: Britain will send a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft to support Saudi Arabia’s air defenses after Riyadh requested military assistance following a series of Houthi drone and missile attacks, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday.
The support is expected to begin in the coming days and will involve a Voyager aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The aircraft will provide air-to-air refueling for Saudi fighter jets involved in defensive operations.
British officials said the deployment will be time-limited and is initially expected to last several weeks. The mission is intended to help Saudi Arabia respond to incoming Houthi drones and missiles rather than take part in offensive strikes against Houthi positions.
Burnham said Saudi Arabia formally requested the military support, which he approved after receiving advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
Speaking to reporters while traveling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Burnham said the decision was aimed at protecting British interests and helping maintain stability across the region.
“Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks” and faces the possibility of further disruption, Burnham said, adding that Britain wants to help keep important regional routes open.
The move comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and forces supporting the country’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for recent drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting Riyadh and energy facilities along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
The attacks have heightened concerns over security around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The route is vital to global commercial shipping and energy supplies.
Britain’s planned deployment will involve one Voyager aircraft. The Royal Air Force operates a core fleet of nine Voyager aircraft, with additional aircraft available for military use if required.
The deployment adds to existing UK-Saudi defense cooperation. British officials have previously said the UK was providing air defense support to Saudi Arabia under the two countries’ defense partnership.
Britain has also previously carried out military operations against the Houthis. In January 2024, the UK joined the United States in airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen following repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The British government said at the time that the strikes were intended to protect shipping and respond to attacks on vessels, including a Royal Navy warship.
