Aster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missile

Conflict Usage

Red Sea Crisis

Side: United KingdomRole: Shipborne fleet air defense interceptorair defense

In the Red Sea Crisis, HMS Diamond used Sea Viper/Aster 30 missiles to shoot down Houthi drones and a missile while protecting merchant shipping.

Aster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missile Images

Related Weapon Systems

Air DefenseCAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missileNaval air-defense missileCAMM, marketed at sea as Sea Ceptor, is MBDA's naval air-defense missile for protecting ships and escorted shipping. Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond used Sea Ceptor to shoot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea Crisis in March 2024.

Air DefenseS-75 Dvina / SA-2 GuidelineHigh-altitude surface-to-air missile systemThe S-75 Dvina, known to NATO as the SA-2 Guideline, is a Soviet command-guided, high-altitude surface-to-air missile system built around fixed or semi-mobile launch sites, acquisition radar, and Fan Song guidance radar. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces are documented as having inherited SA-2/S-75 stocks and converting some surviving missiles into Qaher and Muhit strike missiles, while the operational status of intact SA-2 SAM batteries remains uncertain.

MunitionsAIM-9X Sidewinder missileShort-range air-to-air missileThe AIM-9X Sidewinder is a U.S. infrared-guided short-range air-to-air missile for modern tactical aircraft, with Red Sea Crisis Navy sources showing expanded Super Hornet defensive loadouts for Operation Prosperity Guardian.

Air DefenseAspideMedium-range surface-to-air missileAspide is an Italian semi-active radar guided missile family used in air-to-air and surface-to-air roles, including SPADA and Skyguard ground-based air defense systems. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Spain transferred an Aspide anti-aircraft missile battery and trained Ukrainian personnel to add another Western medium-range layer to Ukraine's air defense network.

Naval SystemsDS30M 30 mm naval gunNaval gunThe DS30M is a Royal Navy shipborne 30 mm automated small-calibre gun mount built around the Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannon. In the Red Sea Crisis it provided close-in defense on HMS Diamond, where the crew used the ship's 30 mm cannon against a Houthi drone while escorting merchant shipping through a high-threat maritime corridor.

Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier-capable multirole strike fighterBoeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the U.S. Navy's carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, built for fleet air defense, precision strike, and expeditionary carrier operations. In the catalog's post-2015 scope it appears in carrier deployments tied to Operation Inherent Resolve, the Red Sea crisis, Afghanistan drawdown operations, and U.S. airpower posturing in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Sources