The Royal Navy has seized several Iranian anti-tank missiles and components for ballistic missiles in a daring high-speed chase in the Gulf of Oman.
According to their reports, the capture was made by Britain’s HMS Lancaster after a night-time ‘high-speed chase’ which involved a Wildcat helicopter being quickly deployed to track a speedboat cutting through the waves, which reportedly “ignored every radio call” demanding the craft to stop.
Onboard searches were then carried out by the Royal Marines who found a number of suspicious packages, which were then brought onto the HMS Lancaster after being screened.
The haul included Iranian versions of Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles – known in Iran as ‘Dehlavieh’ – and medium-range ballistic missile components.
The chase was started after an American drone spotted the suspect speedboat moving very quickly through international waters whilst under the cover of darkness.
HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer Commander Paul Irving said his 200 crew were buzzing as a result of their success: “This boarding was a fantastic team effort, and I’m really proud of the way the whole ship’s company worked together to achieve such a brilliant result.”
“It was a great buzz when we were given the green light by the captain to intercept the vessel,” said Leading Seaman Pawley, one of the advanced tactical coxswains charged with manoeuvring Lancaster’s Pacific 24 sea boats into position for the commandos to board the suspect craft.
Marine Si from 42 Commando, which is based just outside Plymouth, was one of the team who boarded the skiff and recovered the arms haul.
“We suspected that it was going to be a successful op when we spotted all the packages on the vessel of interest,” he said.
“It was a great feeling to secure the vessel and we soon realised the importance of the interdiction as we uncovered more and more weapons – a great day to be a Royal Marine!”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, “This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle activity that threatens peace and security around the world.”
A statement from the Ministry of Defense added, “The operation is a clear demonstration of successful UK and US cooperation in maintaining maritime security, combining assets from both countries to uphold peace and stability in the region. The UK’s maritime security operations support the collective actions of partners in the region to disrupt malign and illicit activity at sea.”
The UN has been informed and invited to inspect the materials, according to the statement.
This is the third weapons cache seized by the Royal Navy in the region inside 13 months. Early in 2022, HMS Lancaster’s predecessor operating in the same waters, Devonport-based sister frigate HMS Montrose, struck twice inside a month, interdicting multiple rocket engines for land-attack cruise missile and a batch of surface-to-air missiles.
Sources: Ministry of Defense / Plymouth Herald
