London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is “taking every measure” to protect Cyprus and the British Akrotiri air force base after an Iranian-made drone hit the base. He made the remarks at a press conference at his official residence in London.
Starmer outlines protective measures
Starmer said “there are protective measures in place” which “have always been in place,” citing the long-standing presence of a British airbase on the island. He said the UK is taking measures “to protect them, to protect the airbase, along with the other places in the region.”
Wildcat helicopters and HMS Dragon deployment
Starmer said two AW159 Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are set to arrive in Cyprus on Friday. The deployment was previously announced on Tuesday alongside the deployment of the HMS Dragon Type 45 destroyer.
The warship is expected to set sail for Cyprus from Portsmouth next week. A British defence ministry spokesperson told the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday that the British military is “working as fast as possible” to ready the ship for deployment.
UK readiness and regional operations
Starmer said the UK had been moving defensive assets to Cyprus and Qatar throughout January, including “fighter jets, air defence missiles, advanced radar, and systems to take down drones,” to ensure a heightened state of readiness.
He said that when strikes began on Saturday, the UK put jets into the sky to protect British personnel and allies in the region, including flights over Cyprus, and that the aircraft shot down multiple drones, including at least one heading towards a base housing British military personnel.
Starmer said British fighter jets were in the sky again the previous night over Jordan, Qatar, and other partners, refuelling in the air to prolong their mission, while military supply chains were resupplying jets and missile stores.
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