A UK warship Tuesday left port in southern England en route to the eastern Mediterranean to “bolster British defences in the region” amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, the Royal Navy said.
The HMS Dragon’s departure from its base in Portsmouth follows criticism from opposition politicians and the Cypriot government for a perceived slow reaction to a drone attack on Britain’s Akrotiri base in southern Cyprus on March 1.
An Iranian-made drone hit the runway of the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri.
The destroyer’s long-awaited deployment comes a day after US President Donald Trump said the war, which began on February 28, would be over “soon”.
The ship is capable of shooting down drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iran and its proxies as Iranian attacks “continue to target British interests in the region”, the Royal Navy said.
“HMS Dragon is one of the most capable air defence warships in the world, and she will add to our significant defensive capabilities in the region by strengthening our ability to detect, track and destroy aerial threats, including drones,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Royal Navy personnel have worked “at pace” to ready the warship, completing six weeks’ worth of work in six days, the ministry said.
Earlier, the defence ministry said a further British ship was being prepared for a potential deployment to the region.
“We have taken the decision to bring RFA Lyme Bay, a landing ship with humanitarian and medical capabilities, to heightened readiness as a precaution should she be needed to assist in maritime tasks in the Eastern Mediterranean,” it said.
In the past week, the UK has deployed extra counter-drone specialists, additional Wildcat and Merlin helicopters to Cyprus, Typhoon jets to Qatar and begun defensive sorties in support of the United Arab Emirates.
Overnight, a ground-based British unit took out a drone in Iraqi airspace that was heading towards coalition forces, the defence ministry said.
British pilots have completed more than 230 flying hours on defensive operations in the region, it added.
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