After participating in naval support operations for Israel, the British destroyer HMS Diamond, also known as "Her Majesty's Ship," has sailed to the Gulf of Aden to confront the threats posed by the Houthi group in Yemen to maritime corridors and international navigation. On Thursday, the British destroyer, which previously participated in operations off the coasts of Libya and in the Baltic Sea against Russian ships, joined the vessel "Lancaster," along with three mine-sweeping ships and a support vessel from the Royal Navy, to ensure freedom of navigation in the region, secure commercial vessels, and guarantee safe trade flow, according to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense.
**What are the capabilities of the British destroyer "Diamond"?**
HMS Diamond is a Type 45 class destroyer, designated for air defense, and is tasked with protecting naval formations from any aerial attack while at sea. Some of its notable capabilities include:
- Equipped with the "Sea Viper" air defense system, capable of tracking up to 2,000 targets and simultaneously controlling multiple "Aster" missiles in the air.
- Entered service in 2011.
- Weight: 9,400 tons.
- Length: 152 meters; Width: 21 meters.
- Propulsion: Two gas turbine engines, one diesel engine, and one electric engine.
- Speed: 56 km/h; Range: 13,000 kilometers.
- Equipped with multi-role radar, air surveillance radar, and navigation radar.
- Electronic warfare systems.
**What are its armament capabilities?**
- 48 Sea Viper missile cells for air defense.
- Aster 15 missiles with a range of 1.7 km to 30 km.
- Aster 30 missiles with a range of 3 km to 120 km.
- 8 anti-ship Harpoon missile launchers.
- A 113 mm naval gun with a range of 27 kilometers and two 30 mm guns.
- 8 medium machine guns.
- 4 torpedo launchers and 2 helicopters carrying 4 anti-ship missiles and 2 anti-submarine torpedoes.
The waters of the Gulf of Aden are a vital route for commercial shipping and the passage of tankers carrying a significant portion of Britain's liquefied natural gas supplies. Approximately 50 large commercial ships pass through Bab el-Mandeb daily, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, while around 115 major commercial vessels transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
**Previous operations of "Diamond"**
The British warship has participated in several past operations in the Mediterranean, including:
- In September 2016, it was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to participate in Operation Sophia to help combat arms smuggling to Libya and address human trafficking, as per a UN Security Council resolution.
- In January 2017, it conducted a mission to the shores of Ukraine in the Black Sea as the first British operation in that area since the end of the Cold War, aimed at bolstering British military presence near Russia's borders.
- It has supported Israel off the coasts of Gaza as part of British support for Tel Aviv amid fears of escalating conflicts and the potential for a regional war.
