The UK’s leading warship is to stand guard on the River Thames to help protect the King during his Coronation.
HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, will be docked at Greenwich, South-east London, and host a series of VIP cocktail parties and performances by the Royal Marines band.
But naval chiefs say that they can quickly ‘flick the switch’ to operate its weapons and radars to deal with missiles and drones.
The ship’s radars can track stealth targets the size of a tennis ball from 250 miles away and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously to their target.
The 500ft warship can also carry up to 48 Sea Viper missiles which can be launched vertically from the ship’s foredeck.
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But while the Navy is prepared for the big day, Metropolitan Police chiefs admit that they will be unable to stop anti-monarchists waving placards on Saturday’s procession route.
There are concerns that groups Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil will try to disrupt the Coronation.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan vowed that anyone suspected of criminal behaviour “camouflaged as protests” would be arrested, but he admitted: “Protest is lawful and the only time we can intervene is when it becomes criminal.
“If at any point the protest moves from being lawful to criminal then you will see extremely swift action.”
The Sun says that campaign group Republic claims 1,700 of its members will be protesting in Trafalgar Square as King Charles and Queen Camilla make their way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
A total of 11,500 police officers will be on duty in central London.
This is the same number that guarded the Queen’s state funeral last September, although police say there will be even more visiting VIPs than at the funeral.
The police response to the Coronation includes placing snipers in static positions and employing live facial recognition cameras to pick out suspects in the crowd wanted for criminal offences.
Republic spokesman Graham Smith said that the group has had two meetings with police and numerous phone conversations.
He told The Sun: “They have repeatedly said they have no concerns about Republic’s plans.”
