UK to deploy ‘Typhoon’ fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, provide defensive support against Houthi airstrikes

[Financial News] The British government is sharply expanding military support for Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by drone and missile attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, including by deploying fighter jets to help defend the country.
According to an announcement by the UK Ministry of Defence on the 20th local time, Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets will be deployed over Saudi Arabia to carry out defensive air patrols. The ministry said the deployment is intended to protect the country’s major cities and civilians, as well as critical national infrastructure, and made clear that the jets would not take part in direct strike operations targeting the Houthi rebels.
Along with the fighter jets, a military advisory team to support Saudi staff and A400M transport aircraft to carry defense materiel will also be deployed. The UK will also extend by a further 90 days its existing missions to provide aerial refueling for Saudi aircraft and support for air-defense equipment. The move came as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham actively considered the Saudi government’s request for additional support.
As tensions between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government have flared again recently, the Houthis have intensified attacks targeting Saudi oil refineries and civilian airports. On the 10th, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in the capital, Riyadh, killed 12 people and injured more than 300, causing a major loss of life.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting explained the rationale for the additional support, saying, “The Houthis’ ongoing attacks on Saudi Arabia are despicable, and the strike on Riyadh airport shows just how drastically they are worsening the situation in the region.”
Meanwhile, the announcement of the UK’s expanded military support came just days after Streeting visited the Pentagon in the United States and discussed current issues, including how to respond to the Houthi rebels, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.


[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter