UK to deploy Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for defensive missions

The UK will deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to protect its cities and critical infrastructure against Houthi attacks, the British government announced Tuesday, Anadolu reports.

The aircraft will conduct defensive missions to protect Saudi airspace against missile and drone attacks but will not carry out offensive strikes against the Houthis, according to a government statement.

The UK will also deploy an RAF A400M transport aircraft to facilitate the movement of defense materiel within Saudi Arabia.

Military advisers will be sent to support Saudi staff officers, the government said.

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London will also extend air-to-air refueling support for Saudi defensive air operations, including operations targeting Houthi military assets in Yemen.

“The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable,” Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in the statement.

“The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region,” he added.

The government warned that escalating violence in the Gulf could affect the UK through higher living costs, disruptions to energy supplies and increased costs for British businesses.

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