'As real and raw as possible' - Navy advert captures reality of combat

Brave sailors deployed on Christmas Eve while under threat of attack have been highlighted in the Royal Navy's festive advert.

- by Freddie Webb

HMS Diamond firing her Sea Viper missile at Houthi rebel drones - the footage is shown in the advert, Silent Night: On the Frontline

The footage shows the 2023 experience of HMS Diamond, a Portsmouth-based warship, while operating in the Red Sea.

Personnel aboard the Type 45 destroyer were attacked by drones and missiles fired from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The advert, Silent Night: On the Frontline, depicts the warship protecting merchant ships in the area that were under threat.

Commander Peter Evans, former HMS Diamond Commanding Officer, said: "The reality was that we were so committed to our mission that Christmas was distant in our minds.