Dramatic footage shows Royal Navy testing new Sea Ceptor missiles

This dramatic footage shows the Royal Navy testing its new deadly Sea Ceptor missiles from HMS Montrose.

The supersonic missile defence system was developed for the Navy by MBDA Missile Systems.

Officials say the deadly weapon covers a range of more than 25km and provides 360° coverage.

Their introduction comes as the nation's top admiral warned heavily-armed pirates and state-backed militias pose a threat to Royal Navy warships.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones said that as well as the naval challenge from other countries, such as the Russian fleet, there is an increasing threat from "non-state actors".

He said: "We are envisaging at the moment an operational deployment of a full carrier strike group - this, of course, will include the frigates armed with Sea Ceptor, the air-defence destroyers, the tankers, the submarines, in about three years' time."

Setting out the need for the new technology, he added: "It's an evolving threat, it's there now from nation states who are capable of contesting Western navies at sea.

"The Russians are clearly one of the predominant forces there.

"But also we are seeing a divergent threat - non-state actors are gaining increasing access to high-end capability that they can contest sea space with, and we need to be able to counter that, such that we can put the carriers into a place where they can achieve effect and do so safely."

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that piracy is one element of the threat, but there is also a challenge from groups which are "proxies" for other states, highlighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

"They have gone from no maritime capability at all to serious high-end anti-ship missiles, mine-deploying threats and the ability to detect contacts at sea, all in the last two years."

MPs have warned about potential cuts to the fleet's capabilities, but the Admiral said "we are increasingly getting the Navy that we need" through a "significant piece of modernisation".

Additional reporting by the Press Association