'Technical issues' on HMS Dragon were 'a risk that came to fruition' - why Royal Navy ship ran into problems

Mechanical faults aboard a deployed Royal Navy destroyer were ‘a risk that came to fruition’, a retired Commodore has said.

Cdre (Ret’d) Steve Prest believes the ship’s company will not have been given all the time they wanted to prepare HMS Dragon for her last-minute deployment. She was sent to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the Iran war.

RAF Akrotiri, a British base on the island of Cyprus, was hit by a Kamikaze Shahed-type drone - believed to have been fired from a pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon or western Iraq. The Type 45 destroyer was in maintenance at the time and set to be the flagship of Nato’s Standing Maritime Group 1 patrols in the North Atlantic.

Plans changed quickly as HMS Dragon was deemed the only available Type 45 warship in a state to respond to the conflict in the Middle East. Six weeks worth of work was completed in six days. Proud families in Portsmouth waved the warship goodbye on March 10.

Despite a busy three weeks completing various military drills and exercises, from seamanship tasks and weapon firing, it has not been an easy deployment. HMS Dragon reportedly ran into difficulties sailing towards the eastern Mediterranean, with power cuts and propulsion failures hitting the ship while she dealt with rough seas and high gales.

Further technical issues were reported this week. HMS Dragon was forced to dock after a fault was found with her water supply system.

Speaking to Forces News, Cdre Prest said: “The fact that they have some defects, fine. All ships do. That's part of the game. The worry for the operational commanders will be how many of those risks they're carrying in total.

“I suspect in the case of HMS Dragon, the fact that she came out of dock so quickly and was generated for operations at extraordinary speed - for which I think the commanding officer of the ship's company and all the elements that supported them should be commended – they will have carried some risk.

"There will have been things that they wanted to sort out, they wanted to fix, they wanted to complete the maintenance on that they didn't have a chance to do."

Cdre Prest added that the bigger problem was why it was necessary to rely on HMS Dragon emerging from a docking period quickly, when she was planned for maintenance. “I think that HMS Dragon and her ship's company are doing a fantastic job," he added. “Strategically, I think there are questions to answer about why the Navy finds itself in this circumstance."

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Even with the water system problems, HMS Dragon’s 200-strong ship’s company have access to water and catering facilities, while also being able to take showers. Policing minister Sarah Jones said HMS Dragon docked "for a planned logistical stop and there are some technical issues which will be resolved very quickly"

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson added that this will allow for the Type 45 destroyer “to take on board provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance”. They added: “HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during this period, able to sail at short notice if required.

“The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in co-ordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems."