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British forces have joined the US in targeting sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

The airstrikes were in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping which began after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Yemeni rebel group has declared its support for Hamas in Gaza and said it would target vessels heading for Israel.

In the wake of the strikes, Sky News profiles the military hardware and weapons the UK and America have at their disposal in the region.

Follow live: Footage shows moment RAF jet strikes – as Houthis vow to retaliate

Britain

HMS Diamond

HMS Diamond
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Diamond’s sleek lines are designed for stealth at sea

Pic:MOD
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HMS Diamond is one of the most advanced warships in the world. Pic: MOD

The Type 45 destroyer has already been engaged in downing drones and missiles fired by Houthis against civilian ships in the Red Sea.

Diamond’s sleek lines are designed for stealth at sea, appearing virtually invisible on enemy radar.

HMS Diamond, which has cutting-edge military sensors to detect and track multiple targets, is equipped with 48 Sea Viper missiles – long-range, precision weapons capable of reaching supersonic speeds of Mach 4.5 and each costing more than £1m.

The weapon system can launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously.

Other armaments include a 4.5in main gun, 30mm cannon, 20mm rapid-fire Gatling guns, anti-ship Harpoon missiles and an anti-torpedo defence system.

The destroyer, which can reach 30 knots and has a range of 7,000 nautical miles, is equipped with a distinctive SAMPSON radar system – a large, spherical surveillance device that can detect and track threats from over 250 miles away, as well as guide friendly missiles.

Unlike conventional radars, it can perform several functions at once, has immense range and accuracy and is immune to enemy jamming.

It also has a flight deck for a single helicopter.

HMS Lancaster

The Type 23 frigate, which has a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 7,800 nautical miles, is the core of the Royal Navy’s frontline fleet because of its all-round operational effectiveness.

Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare during the Cold War, its technology and weaponry has since been updated to handle virtually any threat.

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Who are the Houthis?

The warship’s 4.5-inch gun can provide artillery bombardment of shore targets, firing up to 24 high explosive shells per minute (each weighing 40kg) up to 18 miles away.

It is also equipped with Harpoon long-range anti-ship missiles and the cutting-edge Sea Ceptor air defence system, which can guard an area of 500 square miles and engage multiple targets at the same time.

HMS Richmond, another Type 23 frigate, is also on its way to the region.

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US and British strikes hit Yemen

RAF Typhoons

Although not based in the Gulf, four of the multi-role combat aircraft, flying from Cyprus, were used to carry out strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.

The long-range mission was made possible by a Voyager air refuelling tanker.

Capable of reaching a top speed of Mach 1.8, the FGR4 Typhoon has a maximum altitude of 55,000ft.

From brakes off it can reach Mach 1.5 at 35,000ft in less than two minutes 30 seconds.

Armed with a 27mm Mauser cannon it is capable of range of missiles and precision-guided bombs.

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Houthi target hit by RAF in Yemen

Paveway IV guided bombs

The highly accurate precision weapons used by the Typhoons in the attacks on Houthi facilities are capable of destroying the majority of targets while minimising collateral damage.

The RAF’s go-to weapon has been in operational use since 2008.

Costing about £30,000 each and weighing 226kg, the Paveway has four main parts – the guidance system in the front, a 500lb warhead in the middle (which can penetrate concrete) and, at the back, the tail section guides the bomb, with a smart fuse to control how it detonates.

GPS is one way the bomb can be guided to its target, but as a dual-mode weapon it can also be directed using a laser.

United States

USS Dwight D Eisenhower

The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was sent to the region to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel”, according to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Described by the US Navy as its “finest five-star aircraft carrier”, the 1,092ft-long vessel has a top speed of more than 30 knots.

With a personnel of around 5,000 it can carry in the region of 60 aircraft.

It is accompanied by a Carrier Strike Group, which includes USS Philippine Sea, a guided-missile cruiser, and USS Gravely and USS Mason.

USS Laboon, a destroyer, is also operating in the Red Sea.

The warships have a range of armaments including surface-to-air missiles, guns and and close-in weapons systems.

They also have electronic warfare capabilities that could cut the links between drones and their on-shore controllers.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter
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An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower

F/A-18 Super Hornet

The advanced warplane is the US Navy’s main strike aircraft.

It has been likened to a power tool with various attachments in that it can be configured for different types of missions.

Equipped with a 20mm rotary cannon it can also carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and a variety of other weapons.

The jet can reach a speed of Mach 1.8 and climb to 50,000ft, with a range of 1,275 nautical miles.

The advanced cockpit system includes a touchscreen display providing the pilot with the capability to see, track and target multiple long-range targets.

Tomahawk missiles

Tomahawk cruise missile
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Tomahawk cruise missiles can fly ‘evasive’ routes

The US Navy’s low-flying Tomahawk cruise missiles can deliver a 1,000lb conventional warhead hundreds of miles inland.

Launched from either ships or submarines, Tomahawks fly at subsonic speeds on “evasive” or indirect routes which can beat air defence systems.

The missiles are GPS-guided so can change targets or courses after launch.

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UK

Nigel Farage says he ‘can’t be pushed or bullied’ after Elon Musk said Reform needs new leader

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Nigel Farage says he 'can't be pushed or bullied' after Elon Musk said Reform needs new leader

Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party. 

In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”

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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”

He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.

“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.

Nigel Farage and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy with Elon Musk. Pic: PA
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Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA

Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.

“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.

“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.

“I stick to what I believe.”

Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.

But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.

He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.

“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”

Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.

The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.

Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’

Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.

Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.

This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.

Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.

“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking during the Reform UK East of England conference at Chelmsford City Racecourse. Picture date: Saturday January 4, 2025.
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA

He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.

“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.

Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.

He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.

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Police search for missing sisters last seen three days ago near Aberdeen river

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Police search for missing sisters last seen three days ago near Aberdeen river

Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.

The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.

Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
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Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
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Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.

Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”

Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.

The Huszti sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland

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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.

Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.

The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.

Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.

CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”

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UK

Britain’s gas storage levels ‘concerningly low’ after cold snap, says owner of British Gas

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Britain's gas storage levels 'concerningly low' after cold snap, says owner of British Gas

Britain’s gas storage levels are “concerningly low” with less than a week of demand in store, the operator of the country’s largest gas storage site said on Friday.

Plunging temperatures and high demand for gas-fired power stations are the main factors behind the low levels, Centrica said.

The UK is heavily reliant on gas for its home heating and also uses a significant amount for electricity generation.

As of the 9th of January 2025, UK storage sites are 26% lower than last year’s inventory at the same time, leaving them around half full,” Centrica said.

“This means the UK has less than a week of gas demand in store.”

The firm’s Rough gas storage site, a depleted field off England’s east coast, makes up around half of the country’s gas storage capacity.

Gas storage was already lower than usual heading into December as a result of the early onset of winter.

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Combined with stubbornly high gas prices, this has meant it has been more difficult to top up storage over Christmas.

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