Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed that HMS Dragon will set sail for Cyprus “in the next couple of days,” potentially arriving in the eastern Mediterranean after the weekend. The Type 45 destroyer is being prepared by crews working “tirelessly, 22 hours a day,” following criticism over the UK’s slow response to a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri.
The deployment was discussed six days ago and approved about 36 hours after the drone strike on the Cyprus base, which occurred during a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran. However, the preparation time means the warship may not reach its destination by the weekend, with a sailing time of five to seven days from Portsmouth.
France has already deployed the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region, while Greece and Spain have also sent warships. Shadow defence spokesperson James Cartlidge accused Labour of undermining the UK’s international standing by failing to deploy the Royal Navy promptly. Healey countered that previous Conservative governments had “hollowed out and underfunded” the armed forces, cutting £12bn from defence and reducing frigate and destroyer numbers from 23 to 17.
Healey told MPs that the drone which struck Akrotiri was small and originated from “Lebanon or Iraq,” though its exact source remains undetermined. Fragments are being analysed for foreign military hardware, but the UK cannot confirm reports of Russian components. Typhoon pilots shot down two additional drones, one near Bahrain and another over Jordan, while the RAF continues missions to protect the UAE.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, confirmed that the Treasury’s strategic reserve is available to fund Middle East operations, dismissing budgetary constraints as a reason for the delay. The incident has exposed gaps in UK military readiness, with only three of six Type 45 destroyers theoretically available last week, and HMS Dragon requiring dry dock maintenance.
