HMS Dragon will head to Cyprus in next couple of days, says defence secretary
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Defense Secretary John Healey announced that HMS Dragon will depart for Cyprus "in the next couple of days" following a drone attack on the RAF airbase at Akrotiri. The deployment comes after criticism that Britain was slow to respond to protect its interests and the country of Cyprus, home to two UK bases. The delay in deploying the warship, which required being taken out of dry dock maintenance, means it may not arrive by the weekend. France has already deployed its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean. Healey defended the timing, citing the need to prepare the warship and accusing previous Conservative governments of underfunding the British forces.
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