Watch the moment the Defence Secretary brushed off a grilling on the delay of the deployment of Britain's Type 45 Destroyer, HMS Dragon.
The vessel is not due to reach the eastern Mediterranean until next week, more than a week after a drone targeted an RAF base on Cyprus, leading to Labour being hit with a slew of criticism for their response to ongoing conflict across the globe.
Now in Cyprus, John Healey said today: "We've got more fast jets in Cyprus than any other nation, and we're playing a big part in helping defend this part of the world."
Responding to accusations the Government has been "too slow", he said: "Weeks ahead of the conflict, not just after it started, I strengthened the defences in Qatar and in Cyprus.
"More fast jets, new radar systems, air defence systems that were in place before the strikes started and importantly, before the Iranian retaliation started as well.
"But we will adjust the action needed both to keep our Brits safe, our bases safe and our allies safe," he added.
But when grilled on the delay of the deployment of HMS Dragon in Cyprus, John Healey said: "It's welcome that the Greeks, the French, the Germans are starting to send ships into this area.
"Weeks ago, we had extra planes able to fly sorties from day one of the conflict to defend Cyprus, to defend our forces here, but also to help defend allies.
"And we're now today sending in the top air defence planners from the UK.
"They'll work alongside the US and those other nations now starting to put their ships and their systems into the area to make sure that we strengthen together the defence of Cyprus, the defence of our citizens here, but also we're able to defend the wider partners in the Middle East."
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