The British warship dispatched to reinforce protection of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus may not leave Portsmouth until next week, undermining Defence Secretary John Healey’s assurances that the Government was “moving quickly” to strengthen its presence in the eastern Mediterranean, according to a report by the Independent.
HMS Dragon, a Type 45 air defence destroyer, is being deployed to bolster defences against drone and missile threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The need for the deployment was brought into focus after a drone struck RAF Akrotiri in the early hours of Monday.
Specialist naval website Navy Lookout reported that Dragon “is expected to sail early next week.” The UK’s Ministry of Defence has not commented on the timing of the departure but has not denied the report.
The vessel was observed taking on supplies at Portsmouth’s upper harbour ammunition facility on Wednesday morning.
The destroyer’s voyage from Portsmouth to Cyprus is expected to take several days, meaning the ship is unlikely to arrive in the region before the middle of next week at the earliest.
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