British 'drone killer' warship HMS Diamond shows off WWII-style 'kill count' after destroying Iranian-backed forces in the Red Sea
The British warship HMS Diamond has returned from its Red Sea mission to thwart Iranian-backed rebel attacks with new drone-killing markings.
The battle intensified Royal Navy destroyer proudly shows off its nine new victory points after defending itself and commercial ships from a wave of Houthi attacks.
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HMS Diamond was spotted inside Gibraltar last weekend after a months-long deployment in the hostile waters of the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels continued their fight ruthless campaign of aggression.
The Type 45 destroyer depicted with nine drone silhouettes on the starboard side – kill counts of what appears to be seven Samad-type kamikaze drones, one Mersad and one Shahed (Wa-aed).
In the tradition of World War II, mission markings are often placed on fighter aircraft and ground air defense systems, but rarely on warships.
During her battle, HMS Diamond was often forced to defend herself against Houthi ambushes, with their drones shot out of the sky.
HMS Diamond was replaced by the Type 23 Frigate HMS Richmondwhich now serves as Britain's main warship contribution to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian task force – acting as a show of force against the Iranian terror proxy.
Last week the MOD announced the end of its mission saidThe destroyer came under fire in three separate attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, successfully destroying nine drones using her Sea Viper missile system and world-class guns.
“The UK continues to lead the international response to the Houthis' illegal attacks on commercial shipping.”
On January 9, HMS Diamond was launched with American support shot down a barrage of 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile racing towards it.
It used both its terrifying Sea Viper missiles and a 30mm DS-30B cannon – which can fire 650 shells per minute and hit fast-moving aircraft more than 2.8 kilometers away – to down at least eight of the UAVs.
In late January, HMS Diamond was forced to protect itself from another Houthi attack by using turbocharged surface-to-air missiles – this is only the third time Sea Vipers have been used in combat.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps added last week: “The UK is committed to protecting freedom of navigation.
“I visited HMS Diamond in January and thanked the Ship's Company for their incredible work in defending freedom of navigation, saving innocent lives and protecting merchant shipping from illegal Houthi attacks.
“I am confident that HMS Richmond will continue its impressive work.”
It follows months of drone and missile attacks by the Houthis which have put £1 trillion worth of global trade at risk and increased shipping costs by 170 percent.
The militia group, which controls large parts of the country Yemen, claim they are targeting ships linked to Israel in retaliation against them devastating offensive in Gaza.
But there have been regular attacks on commercial ships with little or no connection to Israel, forcing global maritime traffic to halt operations in the region and sail around Africa.
The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers will soon gain anti-ballistic missile capabilities, in the wake of the Houthis' frequent use of anti-ballistic missiles to target ships in the Red Sea.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have been terrorizing the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on ships and warships – but who are they?
The Shiite militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, was largely ignored by the world for more than a decade.
However, since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Gaza, they have disappeared from relative obscurity accounting for around £1 trillion in global trade held hostage – making it one of the busiest in the world shipping routes to an active war zone.
Their twisted slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews and Victory for Islam.”
Why do they attack ships?
The rebel group has launched brutal drone and missile attacks on all ships – including warships – that they believe are linked to Israel, in solidarity with their ally Hamas.
In reality, however, there have been frequent attacks on commercial ships with little or no connection to Israel, forcing global maritime traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
The naval attacks have threatened to unleash a full-blown war in the Middle East, while the intense ripples of Israel's war in Gaza are being felt across the region – with Iran suspected of fomenting the chaos.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased by 50 percent between November and December as the rebel group's leaders vowed that their attacks would continue until Israel halted its offensive in Gaza.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint attacks from the US and Britain destroying their strongholds in Yemen, Iran's emboldened terror proxy appears undeterred.
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