From World War I Treaty to the Houthis: British Typhoon Fighters Deepen Military Partnership Spanning Over a Century

The British Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aimed at helping counter missile and drone attacks carried out by Ansar Allah forces (the Houthis). The ministry confirmed in its statement that the fighters will be limited to purely defensive missions and explicitly denied that they will conduct offensive strikes against Houthi positions. The statement noted that Britain is also extending an air-refueling agreement it had previously concluded to support Saudi air operations, including operations aimed at weakening Houthi military capabilities in Yemen. The statement also referenced the deployment of an A400M transport aircraft and military advisors.

This step comes amid escalating confrontation between the Houthis and internationally recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The Houthis have recently carried out attacks with missiles and drones targeting oil facilities and the main airport in Riyadh, while the Riyadh-led coalition has conducted airstrikes on Houthi positions.

However, the British decision to send these fighters is merely a new chapter in a partnership spanning over a century, with roots predating the founding of Saudi Arabia itself. In December 1915, Sir Percy Cox, the senior British official in the Gulf, concluded the Treaty of Darin with King Abdulaziz bin Saud, ruler of Nejd at the time, according to records from the India Office preserved in the British National Archives. Under this treaty, Ibn Saud sided with Britain against the Ottoman Empire, and Britain responded by providing him with money and weapons. In May 1927, Britain signed a new treaty with him in Jeddah, according to a memorandum from the India Office. In 1932, King Abdulaziz founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In May 1966, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concluded contracts to purchase 40 Lightning fighter aircraft and 25 jet trainer aircraft from British Aircraft Corporation, in addition to a radar system, according to a memorandum from the U.S. State Department at the time. Even in that era, Yemen was present in the equation; the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen was overthrown in a military coup in 1962 and the Yemen Arab Republic was declared, prompting Egypt to send forces to support the republican government, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Jordan armed royalist forces seeking to restore the imam, resulting in a stalemate by 1966. In the same year, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan requested that the United Kingdom provide an air squadron from the Royal Air Force to fly under Saudi colors if fighting resumed in Yemen, according to declassified U.S. State Department documents. Britain instead offered fighters piloted by British pilots and declared its readiness to send a squadron of Lightning interceptor aircraft for a short period if necessary. Ultimately, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accepted the aircraft and civilian pilots, and there was no need to send the royal air squadron, according to the records.

BAE Systems, which was known at the time as British Aircraft Corporation, says its relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dates to 1966, and in 1973 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding that designated the company as a prime contractor. In 1985, the two governments concluded an oil-for-arms agreement known as "Al-Yamamah," which included Tornado and Hawk aircraft.