Erbil, Iraq. Iranian drones struck a British military base in Erbil on Wednesday night after evading air defences, according to the Daily Telegraph. UK officials said two drones were destroyed but others hit the base, with no British injuries and minor injuries reported among American troops.
Attack on Erbil base and reported casualties
British air-defence troops destroyed two drones during the attack, but other devices broke through and impacted the air base. UK officials confirmed that no British soldiers were injured, while American troops at the base suffered minor injuries.
Previous incidents involving UK personnel
The reported strike followed a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and a missile landing 400 metres from UK personnel in Iraq. A military source said the drone that struck a hangar at Akrotiri on 2 March, reportedly housing an American U-2 spy plane, evaded air defences by flying low and close to the water at night amid electronic interference.
UK military assessment of coordinated strikes
Brigadier Guy Foden, assistant chief of staff for operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters, said the Erbil attack was part of a broader pattern of increasingly coordinated strikes. He said Erbil and Baghdad were struck multiple times, adding that British personnel shot down two drones but that others impacted the base.
UK officials cite links to Russian tactics and discuss response options
Defence Secretary John Healey said Russia was helping Tehran refine its drone tactics and warned the assaults were becoming more problematic to address. Lieutenant General Nick Perry, chief of joint operations, said there was definitively a link between Russian and Iranian drone tactics, stating that Iran had adopted the Russian practice of flying drones at lower altitudes to make them harder to intercept.
Healey said he did not rule out deploying Royal Navy warships to protect the Strait of Hormuz and said additional options were being discussed, without specifying details.
HMS Dragon deployment
Britain deployed HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, to the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday. The Daily Telegraph reported the vessel is expected to arrive next week and will be used to protect the region from missile and drone attacks.
How do you think the UK should respond to the increasing use of drones against its forces?