Filenews 18 March 2025
International press reports suggest that Britain, and apparently British bases at Akrotiri, have helped support U.S. air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen by providing air supplies.
According to reports, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was involved in the raids last weekend, providing refuelling to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman from Cape Base. The RAF flew two refuelling flights, transporting fuel from the Cape area to the Red Sea in order to support attacks by the US aircraft carrier.
The first raids by U.S. forces in Yemen took place on Saturday and Sunday, targeting Houthi forces. The reports refer to available flight tracking data, namely that the RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft took off from Akrotiri at 17:49 UTC on Saturday 15 March, heading south towards the Red Sea. The Voyager KC2, with a capacity of more than 100 tons of fuel, arrived in the area near Saudi Arabia, where American warships were stationed, and remained for about two hours near the USS Harry S. Truman.
In addition to confirming the refuelling, sources in the UK Ministry of Defence claim that Britain is providing routine air refuelling support to bolster the self-defence of the US aircraft carrier in the region, from which the attacks on Yemen began.
However, Filenews readers who live near the British Bases of Akrotiri, in recent nights complained of heavy noise from aircraft engines, which may be related to military activities and refuelling.
