Britain's newest warship is heading to the Gulf for its first mission at a time of tensions over Iran's threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key transport route for oil.
The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring, which has a "stealth" design to help avoid detection by radar, is to join other British ships in the region, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Saturday.
Although its deployment has been planned for more than a year, it comes as Britain and its allies have expressed deep concern about Iran's threat to close the shipping lane through which 20 percent of the world's oil flows. Iran has threatened to take the move if it is hit with fresh sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said on a visit to Washington this week that both Britain and the United States would ensure that their response to any provocation was "very measured, that there isn't an accidental escalation".
But he added: "What we cannot answer for is whether there is a plan on the other side to escalate."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman in London said: "The Royal Navy has had a continuous presence East of Suez for many years, including the Armilla patrol and its successors since 1980.
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Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/07/2012 15:59 Comments ||
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#2
As per CNN + FOX NEWS AM, the proposed Bammer USDOD Budget calls for keeping all eleven US CVNS, so methinks Britain + its RN, MoD will be crossing their fingers tightly in hope that nothing happens in the world, e.g. IRAN + FALKLANDS, until the CVF QUEEN LIZ-class comes on line.
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