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HMS Dragon, a Type-45 destroyer, is sailing from the eastern Mediterranean, where it was originally sent to safeguard British military bases from Iranian drone strikes. The ship, which has been undergoing weapons testing off Crete, will join a future 'defensive and independent' mission jointly led by the UK and France – once the Iran war ends. A defence source said: 'Dragon is a highly capable warship, so naturally she is likely to be part of our UK contribution to restoring confidence for global trade through the Strait.' The destroyer, which has a 285-strong crew and is equipped with the Sea...

BAE SYSTEMS : Enter the Dragon As The Fourth Type 45 Arrives In Portsmouth 31 Aug 2011 | Ref. 159/2011 Portsmouth, United Kingdom: DRAGON, the fourth Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy, has arrived in Portsmouth Naval Base, where she will be handed over to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at a ceremony today. Members of the ship’s company will raise the white ensign for the first time onboard DRAGON, as the Head of Destroyers, Commodore Stephen Braham, formally accepts the destroyer on behalf of the MOD in Portsmouth, where she joins her...

Dragon roaring to life 06 January 2011 REMEMBER, remember the fifth of November. Not for any of that Guy Fawkes malarkey, but if you can cast your minds back two months it was the day when HMS Dragon first put to sea. The ship has now resumed fitting out and tests on the Clyde at Scotstoun with the engineers and ship’s company more than pleased with her performance on her first stint of sea trials. Indeed, the ship surpassed the 29kts top speed expected of her when the class was ordered a decade ago. She ‘throttled up’ to reach 32...