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Excitement as HMS Dragon returns to Portsmouth
Crowds gathered to welcome HMS Dragon home after it left for the eastern Mediterranean seven months ago.
HMS Dragon begun its journey to join the UK's defensive operations in the region on March 10, 2026.
The Type 45 destroyer left the dock in Portsmouth in March having only recently come out of maintenance, and was the UK's first and only warship in the region when it arrived.
The BBC spoke to family, friends and the crew at the dock in Portsmouth as they were reunited with their loved ones.
When HMS Dragon left Portsmouth in March, it was armed with Sea Viper missiles and was assisted by Wildcat helicopters from the 815 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Martlet missiles capable of taking out aerial drones, the Royal Navy said at the time.
Family and friends gathered as the ship set sail, and on Friday there were similar scenes as it returned, with many waving Union flags and holding banners.
Families gathered at the dock on Friday as the ship returned home
HMS Dragon's primary role was protecting RAF Akrotiri, which was hit with an Iranian-made drone in early March.
The strike was said to have caused "minimal damage" to a hangar on the base. Defence Secretary John Healey told the House of Commons that week that the drone had come from Lebanon or Iraq.
"My ship's company have worked tirelessly to ensure we are ready for our mission to the eastern Mediterranean," the ship's commanding officer Cdr Iain Giffin said in a statement at the time.
Healey praised the efforts of the Royal Navy in preparing HMS Dragon for deployment, saying: "What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days – a remarkable effort delivered round the clock. The very best of Britain in action."
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