Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon has arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean to begin operational integration into Cyprus’s defences alongside allies.
The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer has spent the last two weeks undergoing critical training and assessment to ensure her 230 sailors, advanced systems and weaponry are ready for the potentially intensive pace of operations.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said:
“HMS Dragon was rapidly brought to readiness and deployed from Portsmouth earlier this month and will now play her full part in defending Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean.
“Equipped with the cutting-edge Sea Viper system, she can tackle a wide range of threats. On her way to the region, her crew have undertaken essential training to ready themselves for this mission, and I have every confidence that they will rise to the task before them.
“In uncertain times, her presence is a visible demonstration of the Royal Navy’s commitment to protecting our people and our interests, at home and overseas.”
Dragon can find and 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 on to their targets simultaneously, closing in for the kill at up to four times the speed of sound, manoeuvring at G-Forces no human can endure.
She is a potent addition to UK defence in the region alongside Wildcat attack helicopters – equipped with drone-destroying Marlet missiles – F-35 stealth jets, Merlin helicopters designed to give advance warning of incoming drones or missiles, plus radar and air defence systems.
Six weeks of work were completed in the space of six days in Portsmouth Naval Base to get Dragon ready to deploy and essential training has since taken place across the last fortnight during the ship’s 3,500-mile voyage to Cyprus, via a logistics stop in Gibraltar.
Commander Iain Giffin, Commanding Officer of HMS Dragon said: “It has been a busy three weeks getting the ship fuelled, stored, ammunitioned, worked-up and deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean.
“My team has been put through its paces conducting mission rehearsal training during our transit to Cyprus and they have stepped up to the challenge and delivered with their characteristic determination, professionalism and good humour.
“I am immensely proud of what Dragon has achieved and we are ready to do whatever our country calls us to do.”
This training included dealing with intensive realistic scenarios, including air defence serials, firing upper deck guns (4.5in gun, 30mm and Phalanx), damage control, firefighting and medical first response, person overboard drills and aircraft crash on deck scenario training.
