HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean three weeks after an Iranian-made drone struck the British base of RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus, Defence Secretary John Healey announced. The vessel will begin operational integration into Cyprus's defence from Monday night.
The deployment follows criticism over the UK's slow response compared to Greece and France, which sent extra naval support to Cyprus after the attack. The Cypriot government has expressed concern over the drone strike, prompting a review of the British base's presence on the island.
HMS Dragon underwent a six-week refit in Portsmouth but was made seaworthy in six days with crews working 22-hour days. Healey confirmed reports that Iran attempted two strikes on the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, though he stated there is no assessment that the UK is being directly targeted.
An additional 500 air defence personnel have been deployed to Cyprus. Healey noted that RAF and navy pilots have accumulated nearly 900 flying hours in defence of Cyprus, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with more jets in the region than at any time in the last 15 years.
The Prime Minister authorised the use of UK bases for US defensive strikes against Iranian targets threatening the Strait of Hormuz, which Healey accused Iran of holding hostage by laying mines and targeting ships. The UK is deploying military planners into US Central Command to develop options to reopen the strait.
