HMS Dragon docks after 'minor technical issue'

HMS Dragon, a destroyer sent to defend British air bases in Cyprus after a missile attack, will be docked after experiencing a "minor technical issue", the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

The ship recently arrived in the eastern Mediterranean but will be going into port for a "routine logistics stop" and a "short maintenance period".

A problem with the ship's onboard water system will need to be repaired, it is understood, but the destroyer will remain at high readiness during this time.

Crew members, of which there are about 200 onboard, have been able to access water and catering, and take showers despite the issue, the MoD said.

An MoD spokesperson said: "HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the eastern Mediterranean, allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems, and conduct maintenance.

"HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during this period, able to sail at short notice if required."

The destroyer left Portsmouth on 10 March, seven days after Sir Keir Starmer announced the decision to deploy the warship.

It was sent with the aim of protecting RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus, which was hit with an Iranian-made drone earlier that month.

HMS Dragon is one of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 air destroyers purpose built for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare, and is of Britain's most advanced warships.

It has the ability to track hundreds of targets simultaneously and possesses a Sea Viper system which can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds.

The issue with HMS Dragon come after the UK government faced accusations of not responding to the crisis in the Middle East quickly enough.

Last month, President Donald Trump accused Starmer of seeking to "join wars after we've already won" in a Truth Social Post, as the US and Israel continued strikes on Iran.

At the White House Easter lunch last week, Trump told guests he asked the UK to send "two old, broken down aircraft carriers" to the Middle East, saying Starmer responded by saying he would have to ask his team.

Sir Keir has said he will not allow the UK to get "dragged into the war" and has limited its involvement in the Iran conflict to defensive action.

The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised the prime minister last month, saying: "We have put bases in other people's countries, and those countries are saying we're not doing enough to help them. I think that's absolutely shocking."

In an operational update on Tuesday, the MoD also confirmed that RAF Regiment gunners operating in a "high threat area" downed an Iranian drone threatening the region overnight.

Meanwhile, military bases in Cyprus have welcomed two additional Merlin Crowsnest helicopters, which will provide airborne surveillance and tracking capabilities.

UK Typhoons and F-35 jets have continued their defensive missions across the region, supported by Voyager refuelling and Royal Navy Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, the MoD said.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water and key shipping route between Iran, the UAE and Oman, has also remained a key concern with the threat of Iranian attacks on boats causing oil prices to surge.

The UK will host a "multinational military planning conference" to discuss the Strait on Tuesday.

The meeting will "explore appropriate measures for an international coalition when hostilities have ceased", according to officials.