05/03/2026 – 15:01 GMT+1
Multiple European countries have announced further deployment of naval assets to the eastern Mediterranean after a drone attack on a UK base in Cyprus. HMS Dragon is expected next week.
Several European countries deployed naval and air assets to Cyprus this week following Greek and French military commitments to bolster the island’s air defences after an Iranian-made drone struck the British RAF Akrotiri base on Monday.
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Greece dispatched two frigates — Kimon and Psara — along with four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus, while France sent its frigate Languedoc equipped with anti-missile and anti-drone systems.
Spain announced Thursday it would send its most advanced warship, the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Cristóbal Colón, to the eastern Mediterranean to join French and Greek forces.
The Spanish frigate, which had been training with France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier — which has also been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean — in the Baltic Sea, is expected to reach waters off Crete next week.
Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament Thursday his country would follow France, Spain and the Netherlands in sending naval assets to help Cyprus.
Crosetto said Italy, France, the Netherlands and Spain agreed “within the EU it made sense to send a message of support to Cyprus”.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed Italy’s participation, thanking Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a post on X.
The Netherlands is preparing to send the frigate HNLMS Evertsen with France’s carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean.
The UK announced Tuesday it would deploy the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles to bolster drone defence. HMS Dragon is being prepared for a voyage of around 5,500 kilometres, taking about seven days to reach the theatre.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey arrived in Cyprus on Thursday and met his Cypriot counterpart Vassilis Palmas to discuss how Britain would further reinforce air defences.
An alarm sounded at around 11 pm Wednesday in Akrotiri, with authorities sending mobile phone alerts warning of an ongoing security threat.
Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the alert was precautionary and no threat had been identified.
Earlier Wednesday, Cyprus said a suspicious object had been detected near Lebanese airspace, prompting Greek F-16 fighter jets to scramble from Paphos. The alert was called off more than an hour later after authorities investigated the incident.
