UK warship HMS Dragon has left its naval base in Portsmouth for the eastern Mediterranean to protect Cyprus, the government has announced.
The vessel left Portsmouth Harbour after 4pm on Thursday, a week after its deployment was announced.
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.
Crew were seen lining the deck as the ship moved out of Portsmouth Harbour.
Officials insisted the ship had been prepared as quickly as possible for deployment, with six weeks’ worth of work squeezed into six days.
The announcement of the deployment of the ship came in response to a drone attack which hit the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus on the night of 1st March.
The drone strike forced the UK to reconsider its hands-off approach to America’s war with Iran.
In a recorded TV address earlier that evening, Sir Keir Starmer said he had agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites, adding “British lives” had been put at risk. By Tuesday, the government decided it would scramble a warship, HMS Dragon, to the eastern Mediterranean.
It comes as a second British ship could be sent to the eastern Mediterranean if the Middle East crisis continues.
Landing ship RFA Lyme Bay is being prepared for a potential deployment to the region, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The vessel has aviation and medical facilities allowing it to assist in any evacuation effort.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “As part of prudent planning, we have taken the decision to bring RFA Lyme Bay to heightened readiness as a precaution, should she be needed to assist in maritime tasks in the eastern Mediterranean.”
More to follow…
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