A British F-35B has shot down a hostile drone over Jordan, marking the first time a British F-35 has destroyed a target on operations.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the fifth-generation jet engaged and destroyed the aerial threat as part of defensive activity across the region. The sortie was supported by RAF Typhoon aircraft and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker.
The engagement forms part of a broader UK response to escalating attacks involving drones and missiles across the Middle East. In parallel operations, a British counter-drone unit neutralised drones in Iraqi airspace heading towards Coalition forces, while an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile.
The use of the F-35B in a live engagement represents a milestone for the aircraft in UK service. The short take-off and vertical landing variant is operated by both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, flying from land bases and from the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Defence Secretary John Healey said UK forces were acting to reinforce regional defences.
“We are moving quickly to further reinforce our defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
“I am deeply proud of the professionalism and bravery of our Armed Forces personnel who have in recent days successfully taken action across the region to protect our allies and defend British interests.”
Alongside the air operations, the UK is deploying the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to the Eastern Mediterranean. The warship, equipped with the Sea Viper air defence system, will strengthen the UK’s ability to detect and defeat aerial threats, including drones.
Two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles are also deploying, adding additional counter-drone capability.
The Ministry of Defence said the measures are aimed at protecting British personnel and interests, while supporting the collective self-defence of allies in the region.
Unfortunately, according to NL, neither Duncan nor Dragon has yet received the Sea Ceptor mod. Any takers on a wager that MoD/RN may accelerate the installation schedule, if the current dustup becomes semi-serious? There are two speeds for NATO equipment programmes: Manyana, it’s peacetime, or Oh f*ck, someone just dropped us into it.
Why would they accelerate the schedule, that wouldn’t be relevant to current events, would still take years
For these kinds of drones Sea Ceptor isn’t really needed.
T45 and A30 is for ABM defence.
The Wildcats will deal with the Shahad drones.
Really the Wildcats don’t need the T45 and could have been directed by the amount Olympus radar head using an RFA. T45 simply does both things.
Hugo,
Sorry, description not sufficiently explicit. Consider the pace of Op. Corporate, or various periods during WWII. MIC can find another gear, if sufficiently motivated.
Brilliant! The air defence turns up just after the major part of the air threat has been neutralised.
I seem to recall British forces returning from the Gulf thirty five years ago passing their new desert combat boots on the road going the other way!
The British Prime Minister’s career has survived by an extremely slim margin. A drone landing a few hundred yards further on and Britain might have sustained serious casualties in Bahrain or Cyprus, casualties to service personnel, as far as we can see, entirely unprotected by ground based sir defence.
Unsurprising that recruitment and retention is so poor. Whitehall/Westminster clearly care nothing for our armed forces either at home or, most particularly, on deployment and has not cared for some considerable length of time.
Nice, but the words nut and sledgehammer spring to mind.
“We are moving quickly to further reinforce our defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
How long gor a T45?
How many missiles do we have? and the cost trade off is crazy, may be two modern gun GBAD systems could cover the RAF base a lot cheaper than missiles and most NATO nations have them but not us along with no AWAC’s, we just go with out endlessly.
Any CDS should hold his head in shame as lack of defence at the RAF base in Cyprus, its embrassing. No wonder retention is bad. Make do amd mend is not working any longer.
T45 is there for ABM interception and to be a Lilly pad for the Wildcats.
It isn’t going to shoot £20k drones with £2m missiles.
The point being that the drones have got be downed over the sea so they don’t crash on houses/farms.
So using short range Phalanx or 30mm is fine over the sea approach, which is one side, but if the drones are approaching over land it is a different calculus.