Gibraltar, United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon reached Gibraltar on Tuesday, entering the Mediterranean as it travels from the UK to Cyprus. The deployment follows a drone strike on the British Akrotiri air force base earlier this month.
Departure from Portsmouth and announced deployment
HMS Dragon set sail from Portsmouth last week after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced its deployment, alongside two AW159 Wildcat helicopters. The announcement followed an Iranian-made drone hitting the Akrotiri base at the beginning of the month.
Starmer addresses timing of deployment
Starmer said in parliament last week that the ship was being “carefully … loaded with the anti-strike ammunition and capability that it needs” before it could depart, and it set sail eight days after the drone strike.
Additional aircraft and air defence coordination
A third Wildcat helicopter and a Merlin Mk2 helicopter have also been sent to Cyprus. British Defence Secretary John Healey said “top experts” had arrived on the island “to help coordinate the air defences”.
RFA Lyme Bay also en route
The dock landing ship RFA Lyme Bay sailed from Gibraltar on Monday and is also en route to Cyprus.
Akrotiri used for regional operations
Starmer has confirmed that the Akrotiri base is being used as a launchpad for operations in which British aircraft engage and shoot down drones launched by Iran.
Sunak criticises delays and references French deployments
Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, accused him of lacking “strategic acumen” over perceived delays in deploying British assets to the region after the drone strike on Akrotiri.
“Given how much notice we had of these strikes, why was no ship moved to the Mediterranean to help protect our interests and allies? It is frankly embarrassing that the French appear to be doing more to protect Cyprus than we are, even though Cyprus is only a target because of our sovereign bases there,” Sunak said.
Sunak’s remarks came ahead of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Cyprus earlier this month. France’s frigate Languedoc arrived in Cyprus within 72 hours of the drone strike and was later joined in the vicinity by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is stationed south of Limassol.
What impact do you think the deployments will have on security around Cyprus and the wider region?