The UK's Ministry of Defence has announced a £405 million ($514 million) investment to upgrade the Royal Navy's missile system used for countering hostile drones over the Red Sea.
The ministry stated that the existing air defense system, known as Sea Ceptor, will be modernized with new warhead-equipped missiles and software enhancements to tackle ballistic missile threats effectively.
Contracts for this upgrade have been awarded to the British unit of MBDA, a missile manufacturing consortium owned by Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps emphasized the importance of this upgrade, stating, "With the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, it is crucial that we adapt to safeguard the safety of the United Kingdom, our allies, and partners."
He added, "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.”
Recently, US and UK naval forces in the Red Sea successfully intercepted drones and missiles launched by the Houthi rebel group, underscoring the escalating conflict in the region as tensions between Israel and Hamas spilled over into neighboring areas.
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