RAF Voyager sent to support Saudi defence operations

The UK is sending an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft to support Saudi Arabia following renewed Houthi attacks in the region, with the deployment agreed after a request from the Saudi Government, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The aircraft will support Saudi defensive activity connected with the internationally recognised government of Yemen. Voyager provides air-to-air refuelling for combat and support aircraft, allowing them to remain airborne for longer and operate over greater distances without returning to base. The deployment adds to an existing British military contribution to Saudi air defence, which the department said already includes air defence equipment and UK personnel helping to protect against missile and drone attacks.

The Government said the decision followed an increase in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and a wider deterioration in the regional security situation. In its statement, it said: “We unequivocally condemn the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and are clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen have the right to defend themselves.”

Ministers are also linking the deployment to British economic and security interests. The department said instability in the Gulf could affect energy supplies, prices and costs faced by UK businesses, arguing that protecting regional trade and energy routes remained in Britain’s interest. It described the Houthis as a threat to regional stability, a characterisation made by the Government in setting out the case for the additional support.

The Voyager deployment is defensive in the terms set out by the Government and is intended to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s ability to respond to attacks rather than represent a new British combat mission in Yemen. The aircraft’s role will be to provide aerial refuelling support, extending the endurance of aircraft involved in Saudi defensive operations.

The UK said Saudi Arabia and Yemen remained important regional partners and that the military support formed part of a wider effort to protect regional stability while continuing to encourage a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Yemen.