They reported back to HMS Montrose that suspicious cargo was visible on deck and pursued the vessels. They were supported on both occasions by a Seahawk helicopter from United States Navy destroyer USS Gridley, which provided critical overwatch during the operations. A team of Royal Marines approached the vessels on two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats before securing and searching the vessel. Dozens of packages containing advanced weaponry were discovered, confiscated and brought back to HMS Montrose.
Missile regularly used by Houthis
The seized packages were returned to the UK for technical analysis which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for the Iranian produced 351 land attack cruise missile and a batch of 358 surface to air missiles. With a range of 1000kms, the 351 cruise missile is regularly used by the Houthis to strike targets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was used in the attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17, 2022, which killed three civilians. Commanding Officer of HMS Montrose, Commander Claire Thompson, said: “These interdictions demonstrate the professionalism and commitment of the Royal Navy to promoting stability in this region. “I am extremely proud of my crew – the Royal Navy sailors, aircrew and Royal Marines involved in these endeavours and the significant positive impact they are having in maintaining the international rules-based order at sea.” The Royal Navy retains a permanent presence in the Gulf region, based out of the UK Maritime Component Command headquarters in Bahrain. HMS Montrose was deployed to the area in 2019 to support multi-national maritime security operations alongside international partners as part of the 38-nation coalition Combined Maritime Forces. The British ship has taken part in numerous successful operations to seize illicit drugs in the Gulf of Oman, most recently in January when £15 million worth of heroin, methamphetamine hashish and marijuana were seized.
