The British Royal Navy revealed that the armed destroyer "HMS Dragon" is heading to the eastern Mediterranean to join a defensive mission after an Iranian drone attack on the UK airbase in Cyprus earlier this month.
On 11 Mar 2026 GMT+7, a spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy stated that the air-defense destroyer "HMS Dragon" has set sail from the naval base in Portsmouth bound for the eastern Mediterranean Sea to join the UK’s defensive operations in the region.
This Type 45 destroyer has just completed maintenance and is expected to take about one week to reach the operational area. Upon arrival, it will become the only British warship in the region.
Meanwhile, the UK Defence Secretary praised the Royal Navy for preparing this warship so quickly, noting that work which normally takes six weeks was accelerated to just six days through 24-hour shifts by personnel.
The deployment occurred only hours after the UK government declared the military support ship RFA Lyme Bay at 'high readiness' status to be ready to assist British nationals in the Middle East if the situation requires.
HMS Dragon’s main mission is to help protect the Akrotiri Royal Air Force base on the island of Cyprus, which was recently attacked by an Iranian-manufactured drone earlier this month, causing minor damage to the base’s aircraft hangars.
The Royal Navy stated that HMS Dragon is equipped with the Sea Viper air defense missile system and will be supported by a Wildcat helicopter from the frontline naval attack helicopter squadron, which is armed with Martlet missiles for destroying airborne drones.
Source: BBC