London: Drone combat - a costly affair

The British guided missile destroyer HMS "Diamond" (D34, Type 45) was stationed in the Red Sea for several months from January 2024 as part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. The ship fired several Sea Viper missiles in one night to fend off seven drones that had been fired at merchant ships.

While some drones in the Red Sea could be shot down with relatively inexpensive tube weapon systems - such as Phalanx - most of them were shot down with expensive missiles.