Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon has finally left Portsmouth to travel to Cyprus to protect it from future Iranian attacks.
The Type 45 destroyer put to sea this afternoon, a week after it was ordered to get ready to head to the Mediterranean.
It comes after Britain faced the embarrassment of France and other EU and Nato states stepping in to send ships to defend the island after a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri 10 days ago.
Yesterday Defence Secretary John Healey said the ship would be ready in ‘a couple of days’.
Today he praised the Royal Navy’s ‘remarkable effort’, saying: ‘What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days – a remarkable effort delivered around the clock.’
But the ship could still take a week to arrive on station, while a French aircraft carrier and other European naval vessels are already in position around the island.
The crew of the vessel were seen lining the deck as the ship moved out of Portsmouth Harbour.
The Type 45 destroyer put to see this afternoon, more than a week after it was ordered to get ready to head to the Mediterranean
It comes after Britain faced the embarrassment of France and other EU and Nato states stepping in to send ships to defend the island after an Iranian drone strike on RAF Akrotiri 10 days ago
Emmanuel Macron has insisted Cyprus can ‘count on France‘ as he rubbed salt in the wound of Britain’s military embarrassment.
The French president swiped at the UK’s difficulties defending Akrotiri from Iranian reprisals as he visited the island yesterday.
A glossy video posted on social media by Mr Macron overnight shows him posing with forces personnel and a variety of impressive military hardware including the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
It features people singing national anthem La Marseillaise and dramatic classical music, as Mr Macron comments: ‘Your presence demonstrates the power of France.’
Paris has taken the opportunity to put on a display of power as the UK struggles to mobilise even a single warship to protect Cyprus.
He was hugged by his Cypriot counterpart on the tarmac after his presidential plane taxied to a halt at Paphos airport.
The HMS Dragon boasts a Sea Viper missile system which will be assisted by Wildcats helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Martlet missiles.
‘The decision to send the Royal Navy assets came as Iran’s attacks continue to target British interests in the region and the UK Armed Forces continue to adapt to the changing threats,’ the Royal Navy said.
The Royal Navy posted a video of the ship’s departure on X, showing the vessel leaving the docks in Portsmouth.
It added: ‘HMS Dragon has begun her journey to the eastern Mediterranean to join the UK’s defensive operations in the region.
‘Hundreds of well-wishers, including loved ones of the ship’s crew, lined the seawall as the ship sailed from Portsmouth.’
The vessel joins existing radar systems, air defence and F-35 stealth fighters which have been deployed to the region in recent days.
Around 200 sailors make up the crew on the HMS Dragon, which is believed to be able to protect an area around five times the size of Cyprus.
Nigel Farage bemoaned the state of Britain’s military today as he shifted his stance and warned against the UK getting involved in American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The Reform UK leader suggested – even if Britain wanted to assist in Donald Trump‘s attacks on Tehran – it was unable ‘to offer anything of any value’ to the US President.
He added that Britain had been left ‘humiliated’ by France, which is deploying about a dozen naval vessels to the region.
Defence Secretary John Healey praised the Royal Navy’s ‘remarkable effort’, saying: ‘What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days’
Emmanuel Macron arrived on the French flagship in the Mediterranean by helicopter yesterday
Parliament’s Defence Committee has raised concerns over the Royal Navy’s capacity to respond to the Iran crisis.
The committee said that after a secret briefing on Middle East operations from senior civilian and military officials from the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday morning, its members were ‘left satisfied that the UK’s decision making and preparedness measures in place ahead of the recent military activity were grounded in a coherent logic’.
The statement continued: ‘We note, however, the considerable gap between some of the political rhetoric circulating internationally, and the reality of the UK’s support to the United States and regional partners.
‘The situation has also underlined longstanding and grave concerns – which we share – about whether the Royal Navy has sufficient capacity and resilience to respond effectively to a crisis at a time of worsening global security.
‘We therefore call upon the Government to urgently release the Defence Investment Plan and take steps to increase spending on defence to 3 per cent of GDP during this Parliament.’
