The UK is to fly defensive counter-air missions with Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to protect Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure from Houthi missile and drone attacks, the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on October 20, 2026.
According to the MoD statement, the Typhoons will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis. The package also includes an RAF A400M transport aircraft, to move military equipment within Saudi Arabia and UK military advisers to support Saudi staff officers. The statement did not say how many Typhoons will deploy, where they will be based, or when missions will begin.
RAF Typhoons, flying alongside US aircraft, have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in 2024 that followed attacks on Red Sea shipping.
UK extends tanker support for Saudi air operations
The MoD also announced an extension of UK air-to-air refueling support for Saudi defensive air operations, noting that this includes operations “to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen.”
This support dates to September 2026, when the UK agreed to a Saudi request for an RAF Voyager tanker. The Voyager has backed Saudi defensive activity on behalf of what it called the legitimate government of Yemen.
The new commitments build on air defense equipment and personnel the UK had already deployed in Saudi Arabia to counter missiles and drones, according to the MoD.
Deadly attacks on Saudi airports prompt additional support
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, who approved the additional support, called the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia “despicable,” adding that the targeting of the airport in Riyadh demonstrated how far the group was willing to go in order to escalate the conflict.
A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport (RUH) on October 10, 2026, killed at least twelve people and injured 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Operations at the airport were suspended by GACA after the strike.
Earlier attacks on RUH and Abha International Airport (AHB) on October 6 and 7, 2026, killed three people and injured 36, GACA said.
The MoD linked the decision to UK economic and security interests, arguing that escalating violence in the Gulf risked raising the cost of living in the UK and disrupting energy supplies.