- HMS Dragon docked for maintenance soon after arriving to cover Cyprus, sparking confusion over its readiness
- The delay and rushed checks highlight the Royal Navy’s escort and availability shortfalls
- MoD says it’s at “very high readiness,” but while alongside it can’t provide immediate air-defence cover
Confusion surrounds the current status of HMS Dragon, the Type 45 destroyer belatedly sent by the UK Government to provide air cover for Cyprus against Iranian and Hezbollah threats, after it docked for maintenance days after arriving in theatre.
The lack in numbers of UK surface escorts, and the poor availability of the vessels that comprise the Royal Navy – particularly the troubled Type 45 class – was underlined as the UK Government struggled to respond to drones and missiles that targeted Cyprus and the UK base at RAF Akrotiri.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Nearly a month passed before HMS Dragon was able to arrive in theatre at the end of March, by which time a fleet of European vessels had swarmed to Cyprus’ defence, leaving the UK Government red-faced.
The Type 45 destroyer had to undergo a rapid workup in the UK ahead of its deployment, spending days to perform checks that should take weeks. These checks were not enough to identify if unknown, or correct if known, issues with the water system.
However, during an Urgent Lords Question on the UK and Strait of Hormuz in the UK House of Lords on 13 April, Vernon Coaker, Labour Party life peer serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, appeared to suggest that HMS Dragon was still able to provide air defence coverage while undergoing maintenance.
“With respect to HMS Dragon, that is available in the eastern Mediterranean, and… is currently undergoing some limited work but is still available in respects to the air defence systems it has in respect to that [sic],” stated Coaker.
At the time of writing, HMS Dragon has been docked for around a week and no indication as to when it will return to its patrol. The vessel is not currently at sea.
When contacted by Naval Technology, a UK MoD spokesperson clarified that HMS Dragon was currently at “very high readiness” and would be able to sail at “short notice” if needed.
“The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in coordination with allies,” the spokesperson said.
A ship being held at ‘Very High Readiness’ indicates the vessel is able to deploy on a mission within 48 hours, although previous instance in a Royal Navy context have pushed this timeframe to up to five days when referring to highly specialised vessels.
Where could HMS Dragon go for maintenance?
It is likely that HMS Dragon will be utilising Souda Bay naval base in Crete, a key US and Nato support facility for operations in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
Evidently, HMS Dragon, while undergoing maintenance and restocking provisions at such a location, will be unable to provide immediate air defence coverage.
Any work being performed to optimise ships’ weapon systems and sensors during this period would also prevent immediate use of its air defence capability.
Nevertheless, the novel concept of having a warship forward deployed – albeit temporarily – to the region serves to reduce reaction time to a matter of days, rather than weeks.
