Royal Navy missile system used to shoot down Red Sea drones to be upgraded

Royal Navy missiles, some of which have recently been used to shoot down multiple hostile drones in the Red Sea, will receive significant enhancements through an upgrade programme supporting hundreds of UK jobs, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

The Ministry of Defence said the £405m programme would make the Sea Viper air defence system the "most capable naval air defence system ever developed for the Royal Navy".

The MOD said it was "investing in vital capability used in recent weeks to protect one of the world's busiest shipping lanes from multiple drone attacks".

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The Sea Viper air defence system will be upgraded with updated missiles featuring a new warhead as well as a software update that will enable it to defeat ballistic missile threats. 

It can track, target and destroy a variety of air threats over 70 miles away.

The MOD added: "The missile upgrades comprise three contracts awarded to MBDA UK, including two to significantly enhance the Sea Viper capability on board Type 45 warships and a third to cover enhanced in-service support and availability of the system for the next five years."  

'Vital that we adapt'

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: "As the situation in the Middle East worsens, it is vital that we adapt to keep the UK, our allies and partners safe.

"Sea Viper has been at the forefront of this, being the Navy's weapon of choice in the first shooting down of an aerial threat in more than 30 years.  

"Our strong and enduring relationship with British industry has ensured we can deploy the latest technological capabilities wherever they are required while supporting hundreds of jobs across the country and bolstering UK prosperity."

Mr Shapps had earlier visited HMS Diamond in the Red Sea, where she recently used Sea Viper missiles to shoot down multiple attack drones, successfully repelling the largest Houthi attack to date. as part of the US-led international task force Operation Prosperity Guardian.

Alongside HMS Diamond, the task force currently includes three US destroyers, and a French warship is also in the region.

All are currently operating in the southern Red Sea with the multinational partnership focusing on protecting freedom of navigation, international trade and human life by countering illicit non-state actors in international waters.     

Rear Admiral Anthony Rimington, director Force Generation, said: "A cutting-edge weapon system, Sea Viper continues to provide the Royal Navy with impressive lethality.

"Sea Viper Evolution further enhances this capability against the more complex and evolving threats and strengthens our cooperation and interoperability with key partners." 

The enhancements to the fleet of Type 45 destroyers are expected to reach full operational capability by autumn 2032.