Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon has departed the UK to head to the Eastern Mediterranean to bolster British defense in the region.
Dragon departed Portsmouth Harbour to join drone-busting Wildcat helicopters which departed last week from RNAS Yeovilton, and on Monday, a Merlin Mk2 helicopter from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall arrived in Cyprus.
The Portsmouth-based warship will use its Sea Viper missile system to help safeguard UK assets and interests, assisted by Wildcats from 815 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Martlet missiles able to deal with the aerial drone threat.
The decision to send the Royal Navy assets came as Middle East tensions continue to rise with the Iran conflict. The UK deployed radar systems, air defence, and F-35 stealth fighters, which are already conducting air defense sorties.
Each with a crew of around 200 sailors, the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers are the fleet’s first line of defense against aerial threats – aircraft, missiles, drones – and are capable of protecting an area up to five times the size of Cyprus, according to the navy.
Furthermore, HMS Dragon can track hundreds of targets simultaneously – and eliminate them with the Sea Viper system, which can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and direct up to 16 missiles onto their targets simultaneously.
Last year, HMS Dragon became the first British warship to destroy a missile travelling at supersonic speed during an international exercise off Scotland, obliterating the target despite its attempts to corkscrew and weave to avoid Sea Viper.
As for the Wildcats, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, the new Martlet missiles they carry are designed to take out fast-moving, agile threats on the sea and in the sky.
Although still to be tested in action, the Wildcat-Martlet combination has proved successful repeatedly on test ranges with aircrew destroying aerial drones, the navy noted.
Defense Secretary John Healey said: “I have only praise for our Royal Navy personnel and civilian teams who have worked flat out to prepare HMS Dragon for deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean.”
“What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days – a remarkable effort delivered around the clock. They are the very best of Britain in action.”