The UK could send out a ship to the Mediterranean used in disaster relief missions as thousands of Brits remain stranded amid ongoing missiles and drone attacks across the Middle East
The Ministry of Defence has issued a major update on a ship which could be deployed as thousands of British nationals seek support, amid missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
The Royal Navy had placed a support ship on “heightened readiness” to be sent out to the eastern Mediterranean to support Brits stuck abroad. The landing ship RFA Lyme Bay has aviation and medical facilities allowing it to be used in support of humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
This comes after more than 100,000 Brits have registered their presence with the UK government as closed airspaces and reduced flights have led to travel chaos.
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A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “As part of prudent planning, we have taken the decision to bring RFA Lyme Bay to heightened readiness as a precaution, should she be needed to assist in maritime tasks in the eastern Mediterranean.” This vessel is currently in Gibraltar and is equipped with medical facilities and a platform for aircrafts.
Meanwhile, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is due to be sent to the eastern Mediterranean to help protect Cyprus and the RAF bases there from further drone or missile attacks by Iran and its proxies. RAF Akrotiri was damaged two weeks ago, in what was believed to have been an Iranian Shahed drone incident.
While the damage to the base’s landing strip was deemed “limited” by Cypriot officials, the Government announced it would take a precautionary measure and send the ship to bolster regional security. Despite this, Britain has been slammed by Cyprus and accused of being too slow to act.
On Monday, Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs the warship would sail from Portsmouth “in the next couple of days”. The £1billion warship is 152.4m long, 21.2m wide, and boasts an 8,000 to 8,500-tonne displacement.
This vessel’s main role is to provide “protection to her fellow ships by detecting, interrogating and neutralising enemy threats”, through it’s “fearsome” Sea Viper anti-air missile system.
