Royal Navy: Portsmouth destroyer HMS Dragon defends Anglo-Egyptian task force from air attack
SAILORS on a guided-missile destroyer from Portsmouth were scrambled to protect a combined task group of English and Egyptian warships during a war game.
HMS Dragon’s air defence capabilities were put to the test during a simulated assault by fighter jets off the Egyptian coast.
The £1bn state-of-the-art warship is one of the world’s most advanced destroyers, equipped with a sophisticated array of sensors and weapons designed to blast everything from planes to missiles out of the sky.
Uniting with the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Albion and three vessels from the Egyptian Navy, the task force managed to fend off a mock air attack by two Egyptian F-16 Fighting Falcon jets.
Commodore Rob Pedre, UK task group commander in charge of the British warships in the region, said the training had been a critical test for both militaries.
‘It has been a great pleasure to train alongside the Egyptian military,’ he added. ‘The UK and Egypt continue to be strong partners as we seek to ensure peace and security in troubled regions.
‘By working together we maximise our capacity to effect change.’
Surface attacks were also practised to ensure that the task group could operate together and its ships protect each other.
The training concluded with a combined amphibious landing as Royal Marines landing craft from Albion formed assault waves alongside craft from the Sadat to land vehicles and troops across the Egyptian coastline.
Dragon is deployed on a three-month mission in the region as part of the UK’s experimental Littoral response group.
The task force is trialling new amphibious assault tactics as part of the navy’s future commando force vision for the Royal Marines.
As part of the deployment, Dragon has also visited Ukraine and sailed through the Black Sea in a show of solidarity with allies in the region.
Upon leaving Egypt, the task group will come under Nato command as it takes part in Operation Sea Guardian, which is committed to maritime security across the Mediterranean.