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Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon returns home after seven-month mission in the Mediterranean and Middle East
9 October 2026
Royal Navy sailors from HMS Dragon were welcomed home today after facing down missiles and drones in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
The Type 45 destroyer returned to Portsmouth after seven months away protecting UK interests – shielding bases in Cyprus, providing maritime security and working with allies and partners across the Middle East.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said: “HMS Dragon’s seven-month deployment has shown the Royal Navy at its best.
“Deployed at short notice, her crew have protected our bases on the island of Cyprus, safeguarded shipping and worked closely with our allies across the Mediterranean and Middle East.
“They have operated in some of the world’s most dangerous waters with skill and professionalism.
“Every member of Dragon’s crew should return home proud. And to the families who supported them throughout, thank you for the sacrifices you have made.”
Commanding Officer Commander Graeme Hazelwood said: “From generating for operations at very short notice to protecting UK interests, defending our Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, and working alongside allies across the Middle East, HMS Dragon has delivered wherever she has been needed.
“The commitment, skill and determination shown by our sailors over the last 214 days has been exceptional.
“I could not be prouder of this Ship’s Company, and they should be enormously proud of their achievements as they return home to their families and friends in Portsmouth.”
Dragon was undergoing maintenance when she was activated, going from dry dock to deployment in seven days, as part of the UK’s response to the conflict in the Middle East, which resulted in UK bases in Cyprus coming under attack.
Working alongside Army and RAF capabilities, HMS Dragon created a formidable deterrence and shield against air attack.
HMS Dragon was later sent east of Suez to potentially provide protection against air attack but this time for a proposed international mission to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship sailed through the Bab el Mandeb Strait at the foot of the Red Sea, where shipping has consistently come under attack from Houthi rebel forces in Yemen, who have been firing missiles and drones at vessels since 2023.
Dragon also conducted maritime security patrols of the Indian Ocean and worked alongside our allies, including a period attached to France’s Carrier Strike Group led by FS Charles de Gaulle.
At an emotional homecoming, around 950 friends and family greeted the sailors’ return – both in Portsmouth Naval Base and on the city’s historic harbour walls.
Royal Navy Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, added: “The resilience, professionalism and fighting spirit of Dragon’s ship’s company throughout the last seven months have been outstanding.
“In an increasingly uncertain world, we need a warfighting ready Navy that can respond at pace wherever the nation requires. Dragon has shown exactly what that looks like.
“To the friends, families and loved ones who have supported the ship’s company throughout this challenging deployment, thank you – your contribution has underpinned Dragon’s success.”