"Truly distinctive accomplishments" of Royal Navy ship HMS Diamond honoured by US after shooting Houthi drones
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The “unrelenting perseverance” of Royal Navy sailors protecting merchant shipping from dangerous militants has been honoured by the US Navy.
Personnel aboard the Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Diamond have been recognised for their bravery and dedication while being in the line of fire. They operated in the Red Sea from December 2023 to June 2024, fighting against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Allied warships and commercial vessels were targeted at random. The Type 45 destroyer was forced to utilise her Sea Viper missile system and 30mm gun to shoot down a string drones, and a ballistic missile.
HMS Diamond has been awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation by the US Navy. Her Commanding Officer during Operation Prosperity Guardian, Commander Peter Evans, was invited to Washington DC to formally receive the commendation in person, on behalf of the 200 men and women he led.
US Secretary of the Navy John C Phelan said: “By their truly distinctive accomplishments, unrelenting perseverance, and unfailing devotion to duty, the officers and enlisted personnel of HMS Diamond reflected credit upon themselves and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
HMS Diamond was operating with the US Fifth Fleet at the time, which directed the overarching security mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian. American warships, including USS Gravely, worked side-by-side with the British sailors to fend off swarms of robotic aircraft.
Houthi rebels were indiscriminately attacking ships sailing through the through the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait at the foot of the Red Sea, where 11 per cent of global trade passes. On January 9 last year, HMS Diamond shot down seven drones aimed at merchant shipping - the highest number of aerial threats neutralised by a Royal Navy warship in modern times in one day.
Diamond conducted 12 “opposed transits” of the narrows – escorting seven high-value merchant ships in the process. Just for good measure, she joined the international fight against the illegal narcotics trade, seizing (and destroying) 2.4 tonnes of drugs. The ship is currently undergoing a major refit at HMNB Portsmouth. her crew are dispersed throughout the fleet.