Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Independent TV

Showing now | News

Royal Navy's £1bn HMS Defender joins 15-warship armada for 'world's largest' test

01:21

Royal Navy’s HMS Defender joins 15-warship armada for ‘world’s largest’ test of naval and missile defences

A £1billion Royal Navy warship destroyed a jet drone using a missile that can take out airborne threats up to 75 miles away during the “world’s largest” tests of naval defences.

The HMS Defender was deployed to Scotland’s Outer Hebrides for Formidable Shield 2023, an exercise alongside 13 Nato and partner nations to test missiles, sensors, systems and software against ballistic, subsonic and supersonic targets.

The Type 45 warship led the Royal Navy’s participation by firing the Sea Viper missile system during a mission to locate and destroy a drone designed to be difficult to track and intercept.

The missile system is undergoing a £300m upgrade to ensure the Navy is protected from the latest threats, including anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Up next

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in