The United Kingdom will deploy drones, Typhoon fighter jets and the Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon as part of a future multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, with Australia announcing its decision to join a “strictly defensive” mission led by France and Britain.
The announcement came after a virtual summit involving defense ministers and representatives from more than 40 countries participating in the planned multinational military mission.
The U.K. contribution will include autonomous mine-hunting systems, counter-drone capabilities and mine-clearance specialists, backed by 115 million pounds ($152 million) in new funding.
Defense Secretary John Healey said the U.K. was “playing a leading role to secure the Strait of Hormuz.”
The ministry said the operation would become active “when conditions allow” and stressed that the mission’s purpose was to restore confidence in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
The U.K. currently has more than 1,000 military personnel stationed across the region, including counter-drone teams and fast-jet squadrons, according to the statement.
Australia will also contribute a Wedgetail E-7A surveillance aircraft, already deployed in the region to protect the United Arab Emirates from Iran drone attacks.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas also announced the bloc could expand a naval mission it has in the Red Sea to cover the Strait of Hormuz, once the Iran war ends.
Kallas said that some countries were already promising to contribute more ships to the mission and that could help if the decision is taken to extend its scope.
Italy also said it was sending two warships closer to the Gulf but would only deploy them as part of an international mission in case of a lasting truce in the region.
