Excitement as HMS Dragon returns to Portsmouth
HMS Dragon left Portsmouth to head to the eastern Mediterranean on March 10.
Excitement as HMS Dragon returns to Portsmouth
Crowds gathered at a dock in Portsmouth as HMS Dragon came back home after departing for the eastern Mediterranean seven months ago.
HMS Dragon began its voyage to support the UK’s defensive operations in the region on March 10, 2026.
The Type 45 destroyer left Portsmouth dock in March, having only recently emerged from maintenance, and was the UK’s first and only warship in the region when it arrived.
When HMS Dragon sailed from Portsmouth in March, it was equipped with Sea Viper missiles and supported by Wildcat helicopters from the 815 Naval Air Squadron carrying Martlet missiles capable of destroying aerial drones, the Royal Navy said at the time.
Family and friends gathered as the ship departed, and on Friday there were similar scenes as it returned, with many waving Union flags and holding banners.
HMS Dragon’s main task was to protect RAF Akrotiri, which was struck by an Iranian-made drone in early March.
The attack was said to have caused "minimal damage" to a hangar at the base. Defence Secretary John Healey told the House of Commons that week that the drone had come from Lebanon or Iraq.
"My ship's company have worked tirelessly to ensure we are ready for our mission to the eastern Mediterranean," the ship's commanding officer Cdr Iain Giffin said in a statement at the time.
Healey praised the Royal Navy’s work in preparing HMS Dragon for deployment, saying: "What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days - a remarkable effort delivered round the clock. The very best of Britain in action."