Britain’s Defence Secretary, John Healey, arrived in Cyprus on Thursday following a drone strike on a United Kingdom military facility on the Mediterranean island, according to a defence source quoted by AFP.
The visit comes days after the runway of the Royal Air Force base at RAF Akrotiri was targeted by an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle on Monday.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom would reinforce its security presence by deploying helicopters equipped with counter-drone systems and a naval vessel to the region as part of ongoing defensive operations.
The deployed warship, HMS Dragon, is one of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers.
According to Britain’s defence ministry, the vessel is equipped with the Sea Viper missile system capable of launching eight missiles in under 10 seconds while guiding up to 16 missiles simultaneously.
In addition, the helicopters sent to Cyprus are Wildcat aircraft fitted with Martlet missiles designed to intercept and destroy drones.
Meanwhile, Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s High Commissioner to the UK, expressed concern over what he described as insufficient information shared with residents after the attack and subsequent interception of additional drones.
“Let’s say the people are disappointed, the people are scared, the people could expect more,” Kouros said during an appearance on the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
Initially, Starmer had declined to involve Britain in the ongoing United States-Israel confrontation with Iran. However, he later approved a request from Washington to allow the use of two British military bases for what he described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose.”
The facilities include one located in Gloucestershire, western England, and the joint UK–US base at Diego Garcia Military Base in the Indian Ocean.
Despite the development, Starmer maintained that RAF Akrotiri is not being used by US bombers.
British officials also confirmed that Monday’s drone strike caused only minimal damage and resulted in no casualties.
As a precautionary measure, families of service personnel stationed at the base have been temporarily relocated.
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