London, March 10 (SANA) British fighter jets have carried out defensive patrols in support of the United Arab Emirates and intercepted drones in other parts of the Middle East amid rising regional tensions, the UK Ministry of Defense said.
Defense Secretary John Healey told the House of Commons on Monday that Royal Air Force Typhoon jets shot down two drones—one over Jordan and another heading toward Bahrain. He said British aircraft are also conducting defensive sorties to help protect Emirati airspace.
Healey added that Britain has authorized the United States to use RAF Fairford in western England and the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean for what he described as “specific defensive operations against Iran,” aimed at neutralizing Iranian missiles before they reach their targets.
Agence France-Presse reporters said additional U.S. B-52 bombers landed at RAF Fairford on Monday, following the arrival of the first aircraft on Friday.
The defense secretary also said Wildcat and Merlin helicopters have been deployed to Cyprus, while the air-defense destroyer HMS Dragon is expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean within the next two days.
The deployment follows criticism from the Cypriot government over what it said was a slow British response to help strengthen the island’s defenses.
R.D
