A Type 45 destroyer sent from maintenance to the eastern Mediterranean in seven days has returned to Portsmouth after 214 days away, having shielded the British bases in Cyprus from drone and missile attack, according to the Royal Navy.
HMS Dragon was in dry dock when she was activated as part of the British response to the conflict in the Middle East, which had brought the sovereign base areas on Cyprus under attack. Working alongside Army and Royal Air Force capabilities, the destroyer formed part of the shield against air attack over the island.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said: “HMS Dragon’s seven-month deployment has shown the Royal Navy at its best.
“Deployed at short notice, her crew have protected our bases on the island of Cyprus, safeguarded shipping and worked closely with our allies across the Mediterranean and Middle East. They have operated in some of the world’s most dangerous waters with skill and professionalism. Every member of Dragon’s crew should return home proud. And to the families who supported them throughout, thank you for the sacrifices you have made.”
The ship was later sent east of Suez to provide air defence for a proposed international mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, sailing through the Bab el Mandeb Strait at the foot of the Red Sea, where Houthi forces in Yemen have been firing missiles and drones at shipping since 2023. Dragon also ran maritime security patrols in the Indian Ocean and spent a period attached to the French carrier strike group led by FS Charles de Gaulle.
Around 950 friends and family met the ship at Portsmouth Naval Base and along the harbour walls.
Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, the Fleet Commander, said: “The resilience, professionalism and fighting spirit of Dragon’s ship’s company throughout the last seven months have been outstanding. In an increasingly uncertain world, we need a warfighting ready Navy that can respond at pace wherever the nation requires. Dragon has shown exactly what that looks like. To the friends, families and loved ones who have supported the ship’s company throughout this challenging deployment, thank you, your contribution has underpinned Dragon’s success.”
Dragon is the third of six Type 45 destroyers, all based at Portsmouth, and the class is the fleet’s first line of defence against aircraft, missiles and drones.
if only we could do that with SSN’s and T23
All to get just one Vessel East of Gibraltar..!
And we’re not much better Now…!
Our Conventional Military is little More than a National Guard Equivalent…!