Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon will be deployed to Cyprus to help defend British bases on the island, following a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri on Monday. The vessel, currently in the Channel, is expected to arrive in about a week, accompanied by two Wildcat helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities.
The decision came after Starmer spoke with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. It follows a similar pledge by France to send military assets to Cyprus. However, some experts criticized the UK for not acting sooner. John Foreman, a former UK defence attache to Moscow, said the move appeared driven by news of French deployments, calling it a 'failure of planning, of intelligence, and of foresight'. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge also questioned why HMS Dragon was not already stationed there.
A Shahed-type drone breached air defences at RAF Akrotiri on Monday, causing minor damage as it crashed on the runway, despite counter-drone units being deployed. Two other drones were intercepted later that day. Cypriot sources believe the drone may have been launched from Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon, though this has not been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.
The UK did not participate in the initial US-Israel joint attack on Iran on Saturday, but has since become involved in defensive operations, shooting down drones over Qatar, Iraq, and Jordan. Starmer also authorized the US to bomb Iranian missile sites from British bases. HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer designed to intercept missiles and drones, will take five to seven days to reach Cyprus from Portsmouth.
