This is the moment a Royal Navy warship, HMS Richmond, shot down two Houthi attack drones in the Red Sea today.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the incident overnight saw the warship use its Sea Ceptor missiles to repel the attack.
A video, released by the Ministry of Defence, shows flashes of light as the missiles are launched into the air at the Houthi attack drones.
A separate clip shows the vessel locking onto the drones before gunning them down.
The US Central Command said a total of 15 drones were shot down by coalition vessels and aircraft during attacks in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Pictures show Royal Navy personnel dressed in anti-flash gear responding to the attack drones
Sea Ceptor missiles are fired from HMS Richmond in response to Houthi attack drones
The UK sent HMS Richmond to the Red Sea at the start of January
Royal Navy personnel are dressed in anti-flash gear, worn when in high-pressure situations to provide protection to the head, neck, face and hands
Pictures show Royal Navy personnel dressed in anti-flash gear responding to the attack drones.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: ‘The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation.’
The Ministry of Defence said the Type 23 frigate and international allies ‘fully repelled’ a Houthi drone attack with no injuries or damage sustained.
The MoD said Richmond’s crew acted in an ‘exemplary manner’ and the UK was ‘unwavering in our position that we will take the action necessary to protect innocent lives and the global economy’.
The Houthis, based in Yemen, have claimed their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are in response to events in Gaza, although the merchant vessels targeted have often had little or no link to Israel.
The attacks on vessels using the Red Sea have resulted in ships diverting around southern Africa rather than using the Suez Canal between Europe and Asia, adding to costs and creating a potential global economic risk.
The US Central Command said American and coalition forces acted after determining the ‘large scale uncrewed aerial vehicle’ attack ‘presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels’.
The UK sent HMS Richmond to the Red Sea at the start of January. HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster were already in the region to the region to protect container ships from assaults by the Houthis.
Flashes of light can be seen from HMS Richmond as they launch missiles at Houthi attack drones
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the incident overnight saw the warship use its Sea Ceptor missiles to repel the attack
Houthis march during a rally of support for Palestinians outside Sanaa, Yemen, on 22 January
HMS Richmond locked onto the Houthi attack drones and then shot them down
The warship is part of a US-led coalition named Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has been protecting trade ships as they journey through the region and towards the Suez Canal and Europe.
At the time, Shapps told MPs that HMS Richmond, a type 23 frigate, would be posted to protect merchant vessels – but stressed the warship is only being deployed to the Gulf to replace a British vessel already on patrol there.
This comes as a missile attack by the rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed three crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel, US officials said on Thursday.
The US military’s Central Command said an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen struck the True Confidence, causing significant damage.
In addition to the three deaths, at least four crew members were injured, with three in critical condition.
A US warship and the Indian navy travelled to the scene in an attempt to assist in rescue efforts.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a pre-recorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze.
He said the rebels’ attacks would only stop when the ‘siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted’.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt came under fire earlier this week when he announced that there would be no increase in defence spending at a time of global instability.
Tables published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report indicated routine spending on the already cash-strapped Armed Forces will shrink by £2.2 billion next year.
Meanwhile, spending on major procurement projects is forecast to fall by £0.3 billion next year.
The combined totals for both categories will fall from £54.2 billion in 2023/24 to £51.7billion in 2024/25 – at a time of war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
