UK Agrees to Give Saudi Arabia Defensive Air Refueling
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain will help defend Saudi Arabia. He made the announcement on Monday.
Britain will send Royal Air Force planes to refuel Saudi jets in the air. This is called air-to-air refueling.
The support is defensive only. It will not help with strikes against Houthi rebels.
The deployment is expected within days. It is reported to involve one RAF Voyager aircraft.
Saudi Arabia asked Britain for this support. The request came after attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Those attacks included threats to energy infrastructure. Burnham said the refueling would help protect Saudi energy sites.
He said it would also help counter Houthi fighters. He added it could help restore stability in the Middle East. Burnham said it might also help lower living costs at home.
Key Terms 4
- RAF Royal Air Force, the United Kingdom's air military branch.
- Houthi rebels An armed group in Yemen backed by Iran.
- air-to-air refueling Giving fuel to aircraft while they are flying.
- Voyager aircraft A type of RAF plane used for refueling other jets.