Navy Sailors Who Defied Missile Threat To Protect Merchant Ships To Be Awarded

Royal Navy sailors who braved the threat of a missile attack to protect merchant ships in the Middle East will be awarded a new medal clasp.

Her Majesty The Queen has agreed that a new clasp, the Gulf of Aden Clasp, will be introduced to those who served on board the Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring during a period of significant threat in the Bab al-Mandeb strait in 2016. 

The intense mission started after an attack on a merchant vessel, the MV Swift, off the coast of Yemen in October 2016.

Portsmouth-based HMS Daring was already headed to the area at the start of a nine-month deployment on maritime security operations.

The destroyer and her 260-strong crew then conducted 20 patrols of the area threatened by land-based missiles and explosive boats in the hands of Houthi rebels.

With the ship's advanced surveillance radar and Sea Viper missile system, they ensured the critical choke point for world trade remained free-flowing.

Each transit of the chokepoint was conducted at the highest degree of readiness.

Commander Phil Dennis, who was the Commanding Officer of HMS Daring at the time of the operation, said:

"This is wonderful recognition of the immense efforts of my team in HMS Daring during such a vital mission which ultimately helped protect Britain's economy and safeguard world trade.

"There was a significant and viable threat from both surface and air attack at the time, but throughout that threat my team performed brilliantly, calling upon their world-class training to rise to the challenge.

"This achievement shows how capable the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers truly are, having successfully defended hundreds of thousands of tonnes of merchant shipping with sensors and weapons."

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, said:

"Maritime trade is the lifeblood of Britain's economy and the Royal Navy plays a key role in protecting important trade routes.

"The extraordinary achievements of HMS Daring's ship's company, under constant missile threat, is a testament to the skill and bravery of the men and women of the Navy."

Mr Williamson added: "Their award of the Gulf of Aden Clasp is thoroughly deserved and they should wear it with pride."

Around 95% of Britain's economic activity depends upon the sea and a vast amount of global trade passes through the choke point of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Leading Chef Chloe Toussaint, who served on board HMS Daring as a chef and first aider, said:

"I am chuffed to be awarded a medal for my work on this deployment, and it is good that the ship's company are being recognised for our hard work.

"Going into action stations for real and not just for exercise was the scariest thing I have ever done.

"We are fully trained in what to do, but when you hear there is an inbound threat to the ship and we could get hit, my heart started thumping out of my chest. After this, the ship's company become like family. It was an experience like no other."