UK deploys air defence system to Kuwait to counter drone threats
Keir Starmer condemns a drone strike on a Kuwaiti refinery as the UK deploys its Rapid Sentry system to bolster regional defence.
The UK deployed a counter-drone system known as Rapid Sentry to Kuwait, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday condemned a "reckless" overnight drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery.
"The RAF Regiment has deployed its highly effective Rapid Sentry counter-drone system to Kuwait," Britain's Royal Air Force announced on Thursday.
It is a ground-based air defence system which UK Defence Secretary John Healey said was "battle-tested" last week, when the deployment plan was first announced.
"The prime minister began by condemning the reckless overnight drone attack on a Kuwaiti oil refinery," Downing Street said in a summary of Starmer's call with Kuwait's crown prince.
"They discussed the deployment of the UK's Rapid Sentry air defence system to Kuwait, which will protect Kuwaiti and British personnel and interests in the region, while avoiding escalation into wider conflict," the Downing Street statement added.
Gulf countries, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, have been pulled into the Middle East war, targeted by Iranian strikes in retaliation for attacks launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.