Britain is to deploy an RAF Voyager plane to Saudi Arabia to provide air-to-air refuelling support for fighter jets defending against the barrage of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The move will allow for longer missions by Saudi fighters on patrol and follows a request from Riyadh for military support. The Voyager, expected to be based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, is set to begin operations within days and remain in the region for several weeks.
“We've agreed to the Saudi request for air-to-air refuelling that will keep the British-built Typhoon jets in the air longer,” Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC.
The deployment would be a “time-limited commitment” lasting for “weeks rather than days” and Mr Pollard stressed UK involvement would comply with international humanitarian law.
“The defensive action that Saudi Arabia takes against the Houthis will cover a range of activities, including shooting down drones and missiles,” he said.
It is the first substantial foreign policy decision made by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Aviation expert Tim Ripley told The National the refuelling aircraft would give Saudi fighters “a bit more sustainability, durability over Yemen” during combat missions.
It would have a similar effect on combat air patrols over Saudi Arabia, he said, allowing fighter aircraft to remain airborne longer to intercept drones heading towards the kingdom.
But Mr Ripley warned that the deployment represented only a limited enhancement of Saudi Arabia’s military capability.
A single tanker will provide only “a marginal increase in capability, it’s not a step change”, he added.
Saudi Arabia has faced an onslaught of drone and ballistic missile attacks from the Houthis, including attacks targeting Riyadh and energy infrastructure on the Red Sea coast.
The UK deployment comes amid renewed concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The Houthis have recently claimed control of strategic territory around the southern Red Sea, while Britain has already carried out air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen alongside the US.
The UK joined the US in launching strikes in January 2024 after Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and a Royal Navy warship.
The government said the latest deployment is intended to be strictly defensive and does not represent a new British combat operation in Yemen.
