None of the Royal Navy warships deployed in the Red Sea is capable of striking Houthi targets on land, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Citing unnamed defense sources, the outlet claimed that British warships like the HMS Diamond had not participated in US retaliatory strikes on Yemen because they do not possess surface-to-surface missile capability.
The Royal Air Force’s warplanes are instead forced to fly thousands of miles to hit Houthi positions on the ground.
Despite its inability to hit land targets, the HMS Diamond has been credited with successfully neutralizing Houthi drones that targeted cargo ships in the Red Sea.
‘Clearly a Scandal’
According to a former senior defense chief, the inability to fire long-range surface-to-surface missiles by British warships is scandalous for the service.
“It’s clearly a scandal and completely unsatisfactory. This is what happens when the Royal Navy is forced to make crucial decisions which can affect capability,” he said, without elaborating.
For Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons defense committee, the country needs to conduct an urgent review of the incapability.
“We can’t continue to do this with a surface fleet that’s too small and cannot fire on land at range,” he told The Telegraph.
The Royal Navy previously operated the Harpoon anti-ship missile that can hit targets on land. However, the weapon was retired last year and its replacement is pending.