RAF jets shoot down kamikaze drones over Middle East in historic first | World | News

British F-35B warplanes have shot down a number of drones over Jordan amid increasing escalation in the Middle East. This marks the first time the Royal Air Force’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jets have destroyed a target on operations.

The aircraft used Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles, known as ASRAAM, to down the Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones overnight, the Express understands. It is not clear how many drones were destroyed. The jets were operating over Jordanian airspace in defence of the country as the RAF continues to fly defensive missions in the region.

It comes as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed multiple drones have been shot down by the UK Armed Forces in the Middle East the past 24 hours, with plans to bolster Britain’s military presence in the Mediterranean.

A British counter-drone unit destroyed drones in Iraqi airspace heading towards coalition forces, while an RAF Typhoon operating as part of a joint UK-Qatar squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar on Monday.

The F-35Bs were sent to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus in early February amid the rising tensions in the Middle East.

The base was hit by a drone on Sunday.

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