The United Kingdom announced on October 20 that RAF Typhoon fighters will conduct defensive counter-air missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure from missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The ministry said the aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis. The package will also provide an RAF A400M aircraft to move defence materiel within Saudi Arabia, UK military advisers to support Saudi staff officers and an extension of air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi defensive air operations.
The announcement expands an existing UK military contribution that includes air-defence equipment and personnel in Saudi Arabia. The ministry said the refuelling support can also assist Saudi operations intended to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen that threaten Saudi and Yemeni people.
The decision comes amid continued fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera reported that recent Houthi missile and drone attacks have included targets in Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition has conducted air attacks on Houthi positions. It also reported that Egypt’s parliament had delayed a vote on a request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia.
The UK statement did not specify how many Typhoons or personnel will be involved, nor when the missions will begin. It framed the decision as a response to attacks on Saudi Arabia, including an alleged strike targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, and stressed that the newly announced fighter missions are defensive rather than an announcement of UK offensive operations in Yemen.