The UK announces deployment of additional air defense forces to the Gulf region

The British government issued a statement on March 31, saying that as the situation in the Middle East continues to remain tense, the UK will increase air-defense forces in the Gulf region, including extending the deployment of the “Typhoon” fighter aircraft in Qatar and deploying the “Sky Saber” air-defense system to Saudi Arabia. According to the statement, British Defense Minister John Healey recently visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, where he held talks with the leaders of the three countries and defense officials on issues including the Middle East conflict, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and security cooperation between the UK and the Gulf. The UK will deploy the “Sky Saber” air-defense system in Saudi Arabia, with related equipment and operating personnel arriving this week, including radar, command-and-control nodes, missile launchers, and so on. The UK also announced that the light, multi-purpose launch system has arrived in Bahrain; the land-based air-defense missile system “Quick Sentry” has arrived in Kuwait, and the UK Royal Air Force’s unmanned aerial vehicle early-warning and detection system has also been put into operation in that country. (Xinhua)