Around 200 Royal Air Force servicemen and eight Typhoon jets are now in Saudi Arabia taking part in a ‘pre-planned’ Green Flag exercise to help the Royal Saudi Air Forces (RSAF) maintain its combat readiness. A video has been released showing RAF crews arriving in the Gulf and shaking hands with their Saudi counterparts. The RSAF released a statement yesterday saying: “The British Royal Air Force aims to integrate all combat systems, including air combat, air support and electronic warfare, and especially how to use them against the enemy’s land defense systems for maximum operational efficiency.”
The drills will continue until December 11th.
The UK government has said it is ready to sanction Riyadh if evidence surfaces implicating the Royal Family’s involvement in the journalist’s death.
Saudi Arabia claims that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, once seen by many in the West as a potential reformer, was unaware of the plot against Khashoggi.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said last month: “We have an important strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia involving defence and security co-operation which has saved lives on the streets of Britain.”
The Telegraph reported that Saudi had “twice as many British-made warplanes at its disposal for its bombing campaign in Yemen than those that are available for the entire Royal Air Force.”
The conflict in Yemen has been met with international condemnation.
56,000 people are said to have been killed so far.
The UK government has also drawn intense criticism for its role in funding the regime.
Since the Saudi-led bombing campaign began in March 2015, the UK has licensed £4.7 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia.