The Royal Navy is deploying HMS Dragon to the Middle East, where the Type 45 destroyer will pre-position ahead of a potential multinational mission to protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Defence Journal understands.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the deployment. “We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.”
The destroyer is being repositioned from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus. Moving Dragon to the region now would allow the ship to contribute immediately should the defensive mission be launched. The MoD has described the proposed operation as “strictly defensive and independent.”
HMS Dragon is the fourth of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers, launched in November 2008 and commissioned on 20 April 2012. The class was designed primarily for area air defence and displaces around 8,000 tonnes, with a length of 152.4 metres and a top speed in excess of 30 knots. The ships are powered by an integrated electric propulsion system drawing on two Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines and two Wärtsilä diesel generators, giving a range in excess of 7,000 nautical miles at 18 knots.
Dragon’s primary air defence capability is provided by the Principal Anti-Air Missile System, which draws on 48 Sylver vertical launch cells capable of firing both Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, covering targets at ranges from under two kilometres to in excess of 100 kilometres.
The ship is also equipped with the SAMPSON multi-function radar and the S1850M long-range air surveillance radar, giving it one of the most capable air picture compilation and engagement systems in the Royal Navy’s surface fleet. For close-in defence, Dragon carries two 20mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems alongside a 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun and two DS30B 30mm cannons.
The ship can operate one or two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet multirole missiles or Sea Venom anti-ship missiles, the latter of which reached initial operating capability in October 2025. Alternatively, Dragon can embark a Merlin helicopter for anti-submarine operations. The ship carries a complement of 191, with accommodation for up to 235.