- The Iran War has exposed longstanding gaps in the UK’s military capability
- But it has not stopped the armed forces from deploying innovative systems and tactics, particularly in the C-UAS segment
- Airforce Technology explores all known platforms, systems and equipment sent to the Near and Middle East for intercepting Iranian strikes
The UK Government response to Iranian strikes has come under intense scrutiny since the US and Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic began at the end of February.
Some observers have suggested the UK has fallen into irrelevance on the world stage.
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The Iran War has exposed the nation’s insubstantial capability, raising “hard truths” about military power and the reality of UK defence readiness, wrote the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Matthew Savill.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer, addressing the parliamentary Liaison Committee on 23 March, portrayed a very different interpretation of the country’s military build-up in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
In the weeks ahead of the US’ Operation Epic Fury, which began in earnest on 28 February, Starmer told colleagues that Britain’s military build-up initially constituted radar systems, counter-drone (C-UAS) systems, F-35 fighter jets, ground based air defence systems, autonomous minehunter systems and 400 additional personnel.
But this build-up should be put into context: the UK is operating in a “defensive” capacity, which the UK Defence Secretary John Healey reiterated several days ago.
Reluctant to be dragged into American adventurism, while also having to protect UK and allied interests in the region, the UK Government must be careful what assets it deploys amid the conflict. This tightrope performance precludes firing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles from Astute-class nuclear powered attack submarines, for example, an option Savill considers, but in the end rightly rules it out due to the Royal Navy’s insufficient force.
Support for Gulf allies
“We’ve embedded the UK airspace battle management specialists into military commands in the region,” Starmer told Committee members, depicting British support for Gulf air defence as part of the wider deployment.
Put simply, airspace battle management ensures friendly aircraft can operate safely, threats are identified early, and coalition forces can work together without interference. With multiple nations flying in the same airspace, alongside increasing numbers of uncrewed air systems (UAS) and long‑range weapons, the environment is now busier and more complex than at any point in recent years.
He continued to note that the UK is working with industry to distribute air defence missiles to Gulf partners, following a high level meeting with Gulf leaders and 13 British defence industry leaders.
However, this move has come under scrutiny among defence industry experts, some of whom voiced their concern that the UK’s long term requirements – such as homeland air defence – will continue to be delayed in favour of immediate commitments in the Middle East.
When confronted with the overstretched armed forces, and his Government’s delay in spending more on defence, the Prime Minister assured that “nothing we’re doing now and considering in the DIP is interfering with ongoing orders.”
Fast jets
In a parliamentary written statement, Minister Al Carns confirmed that three Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons comprising combat aircraft are currently deployed to the region.
- 12 Squadron, a joint British-Qatari unit flying Eurofighter Typhoons, were sent to Qatar at the end of January
- 2 Squadron, also operating Typhoon, are flying from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
- 617 Squadron, operating F-35B aircraft, are also operating out of Akrotiri
While the F-35’s sensors detect and track threats across a large area of airspace, the Typhoon carries a wider range of weapons and a powerful optical and infrared targeting pod that enables visual identification of targets at long range.
These fast jets have intercepted drone threats across the Middle East region during their night time operations over Bahrain, Cyprus, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE. According to an RAF update on 23 March, pilots have exceeded 700 flying hours in defence of UK people, assets and allies.
The RAF claim that it has more combat aircraft in the region than at any point in the last 15 years.
C-UAS solutions
Specialist teams from No. 2 C‑UAS Wing employed a combination of electronic and kinetic systems to detect, track, identify and defeat hostile drones before they can endanger aircraft, infrastructure or personnel.
Recently, the RAF deployed additional C‑UAS capabilities such as ORCUS and NINJA systems, which combine radar and radio frequency technology to provide a precise defensive intercept option at range.
While ORCUS focuses on detection, NINJA (Negation of Improvised Non-state Joint Aerial-threats) provides the intercept option.
The RAF Regiment also deploy a hiterto unknown third layer, known as Rapid Sentry, procured under the previous Conservative Government, is a ground based air defence system. Each unit is said to comprise Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) and the Giraffe 1X radar.
Two days ago, Healey told Parliament that Rapid Sentry, currently downing drones in Iraq, will soon be deployed to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
All these various systems sit within a layered defensive network already protecting coalition personnel.
While these emerging systems constitute emerging solutions to the saturation of Iranian Shahed attack drones, there is one remarkable force structure adaptation.
The Royal Navy has deployed at least three Wildcat helicopters from which personnel fire low-cost (~£50,000) Martlet LMMs. This adaptation demonstrates the Navy’s evolving defensive tactics in the drone age, combining aerial mobility with a cost effective Thales-built missile interceptor.
But this resourcefulness is necessary given the lack of Government wherewithal to enable this doctrinal transition using new C-UAS systems available on global market.
Stormer air defence
While there are unspecified ground based air defences already in Cyprus, possibly a Sky Sabre short to medium range air defence system, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) did reveal the arrival of legacy Stormer air defence systems.
The Stormer armoured vehicles will fire Starstreak high velocity missiles (HVMs) designed to counter threats from high performance, low flying aircraft and fast pop-up strikes from attack helicopters.
Travelling at more than three times the speed of sound, Starstreak uses a system of three dart-like projectiles, allowing multiple hits on a target.
HMS Dragon controversy
On 23 March, HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, finally arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean after the order for its deployment came more than 20 days earlier.
In what should have taken the Royal Navy six weeks to load relevant capability – Aster 30 missiles and ammunition for its 4.5 inch naval gun, 30mm automated guns and the 20mm Phalanx – Starmer claimed her readiness took as little as six 22-hour working days.
In the last fortnight the warship sailed the 3,500 mile voyage to Cyprus, via a logistics stop in Gibraltar.
The main criticism raised against this naval deployment, inversely, is the absence of other accompanying surface combatants. Most other Type 45s are undergoing maintenance, refit or upgrades in Portsmouth.
Dragon represents the UK’s most capable anti-air system in range, sophistication and capacity. But if the issue is the threat from ballistic missiles (rather than drones or cruise missiles launched from Iran or Lebanon), Savill argued, “Type 45s are currently limited” because of the ongoing modernisation of Aster 30 missiles.
