HMS Dragon arrived at Gibraltar this morning as the ship makes its way to defend the British sovereign base, RAF Akrotiri, on Cyprus.
The Type 45 was dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean on March 3, following Iranian drone attacks on the facility.
However, the glacial deployment of the vessel has sparked scrutiny over Britain's readiness to respond to threats.
Naval sources have told GB News that HMS Dragon will not reach its final destination of Cyprus for another week, arriving next Monday at the earliest.
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Last week, it emerged HMS Dragon had lingered in the English Channel for three days after her departure from Portsmouth.
Senior officials are said to have scrapped a scheduled stop in Plymouth for a crew change amid pressure to expedite the vessel's journey to the eastern Mediterranean.
The warship only cleared UK waters yesterday, having covered merely 220 miles from Portsmouth to Land's End during those three days while preparations continued aboard.
HMS Dragon faced a week-long delay whilst undergoing repairs before even departing Portsmouth.
HMS Dragon has arrived in Gibraltar an entire week after being deployed to to defend Cyprus
|GBC Media
It is understood to have been stuck in dry dock with scaffolding erected and no weapons loaded when the order came.
Naval personnel worked around the clock to equip her with Sea Ceptor missiles and supplies, readying the ship for her Mediterranean mission.
Falklands veteran Simon Weston, who was part of the stunningly rapid response to Argentina’s invasion of the British territory in 1982, slammed the glacial pace of the deployment.
Speaking to GB News, he asked: “How ridiculous does Britain look and the British military look with the debacle that's gone on over Dragon?”
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HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, was dispatched after an attack on RAF Akrotiri
| GETTY“How minuscule does our influence look on the world if we can’t support our people at this moment in time?”
The Ministry of Defence maintained that the deployment was proceeding appropriately despite the criticism.
“HMS Dragon is continuing her transit to the Eastern Mediterranean, where she will play a vital role in safeguarding UK assets and interests in the region,” a spokesman stressed.
Officials emphasised that the ship's company and support staff had worked intensively to prepare the vessel, condensing six weeks of work into just six days.
The warship was deployed after RAF Akrotiri came under attack from Iranian backed drones
|GETTY
The MoD added that completing final maintenance whilst at sea shortly after departure is standard practice for naval vessels.
Defence Secretary John Healey praised the teams involved, describing their efforts as “the very best of Britain in action”.
Meanwhile, Britain’s old naval adversary, France, has dispatched warships to the Middle East on an “unprecedented” scale.
It comes as President Donald Trump revealed he was “not happy” with the UK following Keir Starmer's reluctance to send ships to the Middle East to support US operations against Iran.
Donald Trump revealed he was 'not happy' with the UK following Keir Starmer's reluctance to send ships to the Middle East
|GETTY
Revealing details of his call with Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: “The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom yesterday told me: ‘I’m meeting with my team to make a determination’.
“I said: ‘You don’t need to meet with the team. You’re the Prime Minister, you can make up your own mind. Why do you have to meet with your team to find out whether or not you’re going to send some minesweepers to us or to send some boats?’”
Addressing the help he has received from some nations, Mr Trump swiped at countries for being “less enthusiastic” than others in sending resources to help the US.
The two leaders have rowed over the Prime Minister's position, who pledged yesterday that he would not see the UK be “drawn into a wider war”.
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