UK Jets on High-Stakes Iran Drone Hunts

0:00It's March 30th. Welcome in. This is Global News Today, where the world meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. British jets out of RAF Aquatiri and Cyprus have been on non-stop patrols for a month now, flying typhoons and F-35s to hunt down Iranian drones. These missions run day and night, with Voyager tankers refueling them seven times per nine-hour sortie, pumping in 30 tons of fuel total. It's all tied to the U.S. and Israel bombing Iran, keeping the skies over Jordan and beyond locked down tight. Crew up in the Voyager spot, orange flashes near Israel and Lebanon could be incoming Iranian missiles or Israel's iron dome firing back. Even after weeks of heavy strikes, Iran's still launching drones and threats, making every flight a high-stakes game. The pilots call it routine refueling, but dicey drone hunts, especially with those low, low targets hugging the ground. Back on the base, a drone from Lebanon slammed the hangar on night two of the war.

1:02Minimal damage, everyone warned in time, no casualties. Officials admitted it was aimed at U.S. ops there, but defenses got thick and fast with extra radar and systems prepped ahead. Squadron leaders stressed the risks, not just enemies, but colliding with other jets in the busy airspace. Now they've got eight typhoons, eight further fives, wildcat helos with missiles, merlins for early warning, and HMS dragon offshore adding, firepower. Top brass like major general Tom Buick say it's as protected as it gets, taking Iran's threats dead serious, though families are back home and alerts. Rare thanks to better intel. This setup stretching U.K. forces thin pausing counter, ISIS runs and pulling helos from carrier plans. In Commander's figure-defending accretaries the new long game, no quick wrap up in this messy region.