Operation Prosperity Guardian - Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb narrows and Gulf of Aden

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BBC beale jonathan reports from on board hms diamond now back in the Red Sea.
Escorting UK support ships sailing through BAM towards the Indian Ocean (RFA Argus/Lyme Bay?).
Confirms on 9th Jan, 18 drones launched in swarm attack against coalition warships. 6 taken out by Sea Viper missiles and 1 shot down by 30mm cannon remotely controlled from ops room.
On board HMS Diamond as it faces Houthi attacks - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68640568

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Navy Lookout
HNLMS Tromp has arrived in the Red Sea and will join operation ProsperityGuardian protecting merchant shipping from Houthi attacks.
Video https://twitter.com/admiraalTas/status/ ... 2013651319

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U.S. Central Command

March 27 Red Sea Update

TAMPA, Fla. - Between 2:00 and 2:20 a.m. (Sanaa time) on March 27, United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These UAS were aimed at a U.S. warship and engaged in self-defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships.

It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.

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Battle-proven HMS Richmond returns home to Plymouth from Red Sea mission

HMS Richmond spent nearly six weeks’ in the line of fire around the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden, where merchant shipping has come under repeated attack from Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Richmond was called upon just once to fire her weapons in anger to thwart such attacks, firing Sea Ceptor missiles to down incoming drones in the largest swarm attack to date: rebels launched 57 missiles and drones from various sites in Yemen in the small hours of Saturday March 9.

It’s the first time Sea Ceptor has been fired in a combat situation since entering service nearly a decade ago.

Full article + photos https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... ea-mission

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With Russian warships from the Pacific Fleet entering the highly crowded Red Sea today, as Moscow bolsters its presence along the Israel-Syria border, it raises the question – why is Russia turning up the heat along Israel's simmering fronts?
Photos https://twitter.com/ariel_oseran/status ... 1127554432
Scroll down for further Tweets e.g.:
Michael Modney
Interesting: “The Slava class was initially designated BLACKCOM 1 (Black Sea Combatant 1) and then designated the Krasina class for a short period until Slava was observed at sea.
The SS-N-12 launchers are fixed facing forward at around 8° elevation with no reloads available.“

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U.S. Central Command

March 28 Red Sea

Between 6:00 and 10:56 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 28, and for the second day in a row, United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and were engaged in self defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships.

It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.

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​Russian Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov Ships Sail Into the Red Sea for a few Reasons

What is the geopolitical dynamics in one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors?!
The naval contingent, comprizing the Varyag missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate, successfully traversed the Bab el-Mandeb strait and entered the Red Sea. This update was relayed by the Pacific Fleet, emphasizing the group’s ongoing engagement in “various scenarios of countering the hypothetical adversary” while executing planned tasks as part of an extensive sea voyage.

Although the route taken by russian vessels may seem routine at first glance, it’s essential to grasp the larger context. Currently, the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea are active theaters of conflict, with Yemeni Houthis attempting to target civilian ships. This maritime corridor constitutes a significant portion, accounting for 14% of global maritime traffic. In response, the United States, alongside NATO allies, has deployed a substantial force, including the USS D.D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) carrier strike group, to intercept Houthis’ missiles and drones using a range of defenses like Aster missiles and helicopters adept at countering UAVs.

Continues https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/russ ... -9984.html - LFT

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‘Unprecedented’ rise in SOS from seafarers in Red Sea

A Royal Navy-led ‘999 emergency centre’ has dealt with an ‘unprecedented’ rise in distress calls due to the Red Sea crisis, say the Royal Navy here.

The team at the UK Maritime Trade Organisation, based on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, are dealing with two or three reports of attacks and incidents daily – compared with monthly – as a result of the wave of attacks on shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.

“For the first time the UKMTO opened the doors of its headquarters to shed light on the efforts of its small team – just 18 strong – to help terrified or distressed sailors, guide other vessels to help out (or avoid the area) and work with international shipping companies to keep trade flowing. The 24/7/365 operations room acts as the ‘999 call centre’ for shipping of any nationality in the Gulf, Red Sea and central/northern Indian Ocean.

The UKMTO’s operators – no more than five personnel at any one time – monitor thousands of ships moving across an area ten times the size of the North Sea, as well as a similar size of the Atlantic Ocean focused on the Gulf of Guinea which has suffered piracy and criminal activity, though not to the same extent.”

They’ve seen a 475 per cent increase in incidents reported by seafarers in the Middle East since attacks began in the autumn, with over 2,500 emails coming into the HQ daily.

You can read more on this here: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... sea-crisis

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Israel’s most advanced warship nearly struck by a long range drone.

The attack in Eliat could be a preview of what is to come as it happened prior to an Israeli strike that killed top Iranian commanders.

One of Israel's prized Sa'ar 6 class corvettes, the country's most advanced warship, came very close to being struck by a long-range one-way attack drone that was launched from Iraq. The ship was sitting docked in Eilat, on the Gulf of Aqaba, when the drone came screaming in, impacting a large warehouse building on the pier beside it.

After the drone hit Eilat, there was a separate and unprecedented Israeli airstrike on a building next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed top Iranian commanders in the region. We are now likely to see many more of these highly targeted long-range attacks from Iranian proxies in the hours and days to come.

Imagery from the morning after the night-time attack on Eilat shows the damage done to the pier-side structure, with an older Sa'ar 4.5 still in port across from it. The Sa'ar 6 can be seen in a video filmed from a distance of the actual attack which indicates it was the intended target. Striking Israel's most advanced warship would certainly have been a major victory for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization of Iranian-aligned militias, under which is said to have launched the drone.

See https://www.twz.com/news-features/israe ... tack-drone

And https://www.twz.com/37604/israel-has-ta ... er-warship

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U.S. Central Command

Apr. 1, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist unmanned surface vessel (USV) in self-defense. It was determined this US V presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.