HMS Dragon will not reach Cyprus for two weeks

UK Prime Minister has deployed the Type 45 air-defence Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus supported by Wildcat helicopters to bolster regional air defences in the Eastern Mediterranean. Photo / Getty Images

The Royal Navy’s guided-missile destroyer will not reach Cyprus for two weeks.

HMS Dragon, a £1 billion ($2.2b) warship, has been tasked with sailing to the eastern Mediterranean after RAF Akrotiri, a British air base on Cyprus, was hit by a drone attack on Sunday.

The deployment was announced by Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday evening following criticism of the speed of his response to the crisis.

However, The Telegraph understands the Portsmouth-based Type 45 will remain alongside – or berthed in port – for several days and may not sail until next week.

It will take close to a week for it to arrive on station, meaning Akrotiri will be without the destroyer’s protective umbrella for potentially close to two weeks.

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, promised that the Government was “moving quickly” to reinforce its presence in the region.

The Type 45 is intended to strengthen protection against drones and missiles launched by Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Ministry of Defence has not commented on the timing of Dragon’s departure, but has not denied the report.

According to Navy Lookout, the Navy had offered the Government the option to station a Type 45 in the region before the US-Israeli strike.

However, planned operations with Nato, including the forthcoming deployment of the UK’s carrier strike group to the Arctic, were deemed more important.

The Prime Minister had come under growing pressure over his slow response to the Iran crisis and his lack of support for US air strikes, which has been criticised by Donald Trump.

The decision to deploy HMS Dragon, and not its sister ship HMS Duncan, will also raise questions about the urgency of the Government’s response.

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said before it was revealed HMS Dragon would be sent: “HMS Duncan must go, and go now – we need the highly capable air defence it provides to protect RAF Akrotiri. It begs the question – why wasn’t she already there?”

While HMS Duncan is ready to be deployed immediately, HMS Dragon is understood to require up to three days to mobilise.

Dragon was seen taking on supplies at Portsmouth’s upper harbour ammunition facility on Wednesday morning.

The ship had been undergoing maintenance before the Prime Minister announced that it would be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.

HMS Duncan was operational and had recently carried out a major counter-drone exercise days ago.

The Ministry of Defence has not revealed why Duncan was not used. However, it is likely that Dragon was chosen as the ship recently underwent a major series of upgrades to its propulsion system, which Duncan has not yet received.

The upgrades are designed to make the Type 45’s engines more reliable. Previously, vessels have broken down in the hotter waters of the Gulf and the Mediterranean.

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