Robust defence plans ensure carrier will be ready to confront Houthi threats

A CAREFULLY-coordinated defence plan has been drawn up to protect HMS Prince of Wales as it prepares to become the first UK aircraft carrier to enter a war zone since the Falklands And the carrier strike group won't be relying purely on its own muscle, with RAF Typhoons and UK Special Forces among those tasked with shielding it through the hostile waters of the Red Sea.It comes as Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to target US carriers in the region, with drone attacks against the USS Carl Vinson and escorting warships in the Arabian Sea - part of a broader escalation against Israel and its Western supporters in the region.

The British deployment is part of Operation Highmast, an eight-month carrier-led mission demonstrating UK naval reach from the Mediterranean to the Pacific Rim. Before the Carrier Strike Group reaches the Indo-Pacific, however, it must transit the Suez Canal and negotiate the Red Sea, under the constant threat of Houthi attack.

This includes the dangerous pinch-point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow 20-mile mouth of the Red Sea near Djibouti.

The Red Sea has seen more than 120 Houthi attacks on international shipping in the past year, including two vessels sunk, one seized, and four seafarers killed.

Last year, the self-appointed Yemeni Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed his forces had even struck US warships, though this was never substantiated.

HMS Prince of Wales will be accompanied by seven primary vessels, including the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dauntless, a Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond, a Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Roald Amundsen and a Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Québec.

A British Astute-class submarine is also expected to be on patrol.

To navigate the threat, the carrier group will sail under tight operational conditions known as "defence stations," coordinated from the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters by Lt Gen Nick Perry, a fomer militry advisor to PM David Cameron.

The layered defence plan draws on British air, land and sea assets, with additional operational support from the US.

In the skies, F-35B jets from the carrier will operate alongside RAF Typhoons based in Cyprus, providing overwatch. They'll be supported by Merlin EH101 helicopters fitted with Crowsnest radar for airborne early warning.

Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles will counter suicide drones and boats, while RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft will monitor electronic emissions from Houthi-controlled areas.

US F-35s based in Djibouti will offer additional patrols over the southern Red Sea.

At sea, HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 air-defence destroyer, will defend the strike group against missile and drone attacks using Sea Viper and Aster interceptors. It is understood to be carrying DragonFire, a new laser weapons system which can down enemy drones at just £10 a shot, as well as naval communications technicians onboard to jam or disrupt Houthi signals.

Royal Marines from 42 Commando, aboard fast attack boats, will escort the carrier through Bab el-Mandeb's tightest passageways, where Houthi forces have previously launched small-boat attacks.

Finally, sources suggest the passage may also be accompanied by further air strikes against Houthi positions- though this has not been confirmed.

"When the carrier enters the Red Sea she will be locked down in what is called defence stations," said a senior naval source.

"Any indication from intelligence analysts of a further attack will prompt an early response."

Last week the RAF carried out its first manned operational strike since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, targeting a complex of factories in Yemen used to manufacture long-range drones with Iranian technical assistance.

Iran has supplied its proxies with advanced systems including Toufan surface-to-air missiles, Soumar cruise missiles, and the Quds-2 , allegedly developed to strike Israel.

The Houthis also operate Samad loitering munitions, along with Wa'id and Shahed drones, many mounted on the backs of small commercial vehicles and concealed until deployment.

An MOD spokesperson said: ''We do not comment on routing for operational security reasons.

"A layered defence approach is core to any integrated force such as the Carrier Strike Group''.