The United Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to stand alongside Kuwait and support its forces in safeguarding the country, the British Embassy in Kuwait said on Monday.
In a statement posted on social media, the Embassy said UK Ambassador to Kuwait Qudsi Rasheed and Military Attaché Neil Marriott recently met personnel from the Royal Air Force Regiment deployed in support of the “Rapier Sentry” air defense system, designed to strengthen Kuwait’s protection against drone threats.
The Embassy said the discussions reviewed operational work and close coordination with Kuwaiti partners, while welcoming the announcement of a ceasefire and stressing that “despite the stabilization of the situation, readiness remains essential,” reaffirming continued UK backing for Kuwait’s Armed Forces.
On Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the involvement of Gulf nations is “vital” to maintaining a ceasefire in the Middle East, as London and Washington coordinate on a plan to reopen one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The Prime Minister emphasized that members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are essential stakeholders in any lasting peace because of their proximity to Iran. He was spoking before leaving Qatar, the last stop of his tour of the GCC region, which also included visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
To counter the threat of Iranian-made attack drones, the UK Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that it fast-tracked a multi-million-pound contract for the ‘Skyhammer’ interceptor missile.
Developed by British start-up Cambridge Aerospace, the Skyhammer is designed to reach speeds of 700km/h with a 30km range.
“With aerial threats to the UK and our allies increasing by the day, it is critical that we can defend ourselves effectively. Skyhammer was designed to do exactly that - bringing affordable mass to protect our skies,” CEO of Cambridge Aerospace Steven Barrett said in a statement published by the UK government.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey said the government is using an “accelerated” procurement model, similar to the one used to supply Ukraine, to get these systems to Gulf partners by May.
“This initiative builds on last month’s roundtable event in London which saw representatives from 13 key UK-based defense companies meeting Gulf ambassadors and defense attachés to explore new industry support for regional allies,” said the UK Ministry of Defense in the statement.
The Ministry added that it is working to speed up financing and licensing for exports to Gulf partners. “As part of this, a new Task Force has been created within the NAD Group to collaborate across government to support partners across the Middle East working with UK industry,” the ministry said.
Earlier this month, the UK authorized the deployment of the Rapid Sentry air defense system to Kuwait. A UK government spokesperson said the move was intended to protect British and Kuwaiti interests while attempting to prevent further regional escalation. (KUNA; British Embassy in Kuwait; UK MoD; Agencies; Photo © KUNA)
