The Royal Navy has confirmed that air defence destroyer HMS Dragon left Gibraltar overnight and will continue the journey to Cypriot waters, where it will help to defend Cyprus from drones and missiles
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HMS Dragon has departed Gibraltar to continue the journey to the Eastern Mediterranean, where it will defend two RAF bases in Cyprus.
The Royal Navy has confirmed that air defence destroyer HMS Dragon left Gibraltar overnight and will continue the journey to Cypriot waters, where it will help to defend Cyprus from drones and missiles.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: "As part of her pre-planned programme, HMS Dragon will make a short stop in Gibraltar to take on stores and conduct a personnel changeover."
The Type 45 destroyer is capable of shooting down drones and ballistic missiles fired by Iran and its proxies as the Middle East crisis continues.
The Government came under fire for its slow response to drone strikes on RAF bases on Cyprus.
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HMS DRAGON departing from Gibraltar this evening. Fair winds and stay safe #shipsinpics #ships #shipping #shipspotting @air_intel @WarshipCam@NavyLookout @seawaves_mag @UKForcesTracker@HMSDragon pic.twitter.com/Q2lYujNUZJ— Daniel Ferro (@Gibdan1) March 17, 2026
The announcement of the deployment of the ship came in response to a drone attack which hit the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, but it took one week after this for the HMS Dragon to set sail.
Officials insisted the ship had been prepared as quickly as possible for deployment, with six weeks’ worth of work squeezed into six days.
HMS Dragon, which has a crew of around 200, is capable of firing eight Sea Viper missiles in under 10 seconds to take down aerial targets.
The commanding officer, Commander Iain Giffin, said as the ship departed: “My ship’s company have worked tirelessly to ensure we are ready for our mission to the eastern Mediterranean.
“I am proud of professional manner in which they have responded. We are trained for this, we are ready for this, we have the equipment and people, we have the support of the British people and, most importantly, our families and friends.”
The Sun branded the HMS Dragon a "farce" following reports that it had "bobbed around" in the English Channel for three days after leaving Portsmouth.
The outlet said that there was a planned crew change at Plymouth, but this was scrapped by higher-ups.
Navy Lookout has said that the crew would have been undertaking safety drills, as well as more complex gunnery and warfare drills, after two months ashore.