Her construction began at the then BAE Systems Naval Ships yard at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in December 2005 and by December 2007 the bow section was in place on the Govan slipway to marry up with the other sections. She was commissioned on 20 April 2012.
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Here are some of her finest moments so far that include a great image of the £75m of narcotics seized, in the largest ever Gulf drugs bust in 2018.
![September 2013. One of HMS Dragon's boarding teams conducts live firings from the ship's sea boat in an exercise.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjI3YjYwMjIwLWYwNTYtNDNmNy1hMGUwLTNjYmE1ODg1ZjVjYzpiZjRkNTY3NS05NDI0LTRjZGYtOGRjMC1iMjBhYjNiNjc5M2Q=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
1. HMS Dragon memories
September 2013. One of HMS Dragon's boarding teams conducts live firings from the ship's sea boat in an exercise. Photo: L(Phot) Dave Jenkins
![March 2011. The Launch of the new Type 45 HMS Dragon at BVT Govan.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjA3OGE1OWFhLTc4ZDEtNDMzMi1hYjRkLWM2Mjg3MTM0MjliNDo1ZmVkZDAxNy1kNWI4LTQ5NjUtOWU0ZS1lMzBiZDE5NGQ1NGI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
2. HMS Dragon memories
March 2011. The Launch of the new Type 45 HMS Dragon at BVT Govan. Photo: LA(PHOT) Simon Ethell
![Drugs haul. HMS Dragon conducted an anti-narcotics operation in the Indian Ocean on 8th December 2018
.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjcwZjQ2ZTc2LWI4MzQtNDY3MS1iMzQ2LTFmN2IxMzczNDY5ZTplM2U1ZTMwMC0yOGZhLTQwZWUtOGVjOC1mNDU1ZGNjZThmNzM=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
3. HMS Dragon memories
Drugs haul. HMS Dragon conducted an anti-narcotics operation in the Indian Ocean on 8th December 2018 . Photo: The News archive
![HMS Dragon sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour in March 2014. Taken by Lt Cdr Shaun Roster, MOD Fleetlands.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjFlOGI3ZmQwLWJiMzctNDhhNi1hNDZjLTAyYzZiY2E5ODk1Yzo0MGJhNjAxMS1jNWY0LTRiYjMtYmVhMC1mMThjMWJhYWMxNmE=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
4. HMS Dragon memories
HMS Dragon sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour in March 2014. Taken by Lt Cdr Shaun Roster, MOD Fleetlands. Photo: The News archive