London, Birmingham and Manchester ‘completely naked’ to Iran missiles – ‘it’s shocking’ | World | News
Iranian missiles were photographed over Jerusalem during the 12-Day War in June last year (Image: Getty)
Britain has been warned it is vulnerable to a possible Iranian missile attack, with the country’s air defense situation branded “shocking” and “shameful”. Israel warned on Saturday that Tehran was developing intercontinental ballistic missiles that could hit London following a failed attack on the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands, about 2,400 miles from Iran.
One of the missiles was shot down by a US warship, while the other failed in flight. The UK’s only defense against ballistic or hypersonic missiles are the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers. Only one is believed to be operational in UK waters; four are out of service and the final ship, HMS Dragon, sailed for Cyprus in response to a drone attack on an RAF base on the island.
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There are fears that Iran is expanding its missile capacity that could hit London (Image: Getty)
Former RAF air marshal Sean Bell told the BBC: “The concern here is that if Iran launches a ballistic missile coming towards us, unlike Israel, unlike America, unlike Diego Garcia, we have no defense against that in this country.”
“Even though we could follow it, it could still hit us. Now I think the chances of that happening are pretty slim.”
He added: “Unless it’s a Type 45 [destroyer] He passes by by chance and is unlikely to be in the right place at that moment; “The fact that we do not have missile defense against ballistic missiles in this country is obvious.”
A senior defense source familiar with Britain’s air defense systems said: Telegram: “It’s very sad… combating ballistic missiles is a long-learned skill and the UK’s skills are sadly very, very low.”
Iran’s attempted attack on Diego Garcia has raised concerns that Tehran has missiles that can travel farther than previously acknowledged or is using its space program for an impromptu launch.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the missiles had a range of 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles); this is significantly greater than the previous maximum range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) that many believed Iran had in its arsenal.
London is 4,425 kilometers (2,750 miles) from Iran, but analysts fear Iran could use Simorgh space launch technology to further extend its missile range.
The Navy’s only operational Type 45 destroyer in the UK is HMS Dragon, currently based at Portsmouth, 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) from the capital.
The ship’s Sea Viper surface-to-air missile system can destroy targets approximately 70 miles away.
Former Army officer Philip Ingram issued a stark warning: Sun: “London currently has zero ballistic missile coverage.
“London is naked right now.”
Depending on how far Iran can extend its missile range, major cities such as Birmingham and Manchester are also likely to be terribly exposed to potential attack.
This means Britain will have to rely on NATO allies in Europe to shoot down the Iranian missile while penetrating alliance air defenses on the continent.
Iran warned on Friday that British lives were “in danger” following the Government’s decision to allow US forces to use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, to launch attacks on Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is understood to have launched the missiles at Diego Garcia before ministers gave the US permission for further strikes on Friday afternoon.
Iran has also threatened to target tourist spots due to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
