The UK MoD has confirmed that its F-35B Lightning stealth fighters engaged and destroyed drones over Jordan, because it declares extra protecting measures for RAF Akrotiri.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced through social media shortly after 1600 UTC on Mar. 3, 2026 after a lot hypothesis within the British press that the Royal Navy had been tasked to deploy the Kind 45 air defence destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) and ‘helicopters with counter drone capabilities’ to protect Cyprus from additional drone assaults.
Shortly afterwards, an official press launch with additional element was launched by the Ministry of Defence the place the announcement was additionally made that Royal Air Pressure F-35Bs had shot down drones whereas working from RAF Akrotiri over Jordan. Six F-35Bs had been despatched to RAF Akrotiri final month because the UK responded to heightened regional tensions.
Though UK F-35s, collectively operated by the Royal Air Pressure and the Fleet Air Arm, have beforehand undertaken frontline missions throughout Operation Shader, the MoD states that that is the primary time they’ve truly engaged and destroyed a goal in a stay mission. No precise variety of drones shot down in the course of the mission was said, although a video (embedded under) was launched.
An replace on UK operations within the Center East. pic.twitter.com/0YSomfmW5U
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 3, 2026
Secretary of State for Defence John Healey stated “We’re shifting shortly to additional reinforce our defensive presence within the Japanese Mediterranean. HMS Dragon brings world-class air defence functionality, and our Wildcat helicopters are armed with Martlet missiles to counter the rising drone risk. I’m deeply happy with the professionalism and bravado of our Armed Forces personnel who’ve in latest days, efficiently taken motion throughout the area to guard our allies and defend British pursuits.”
These engagements by F-35s add to these already introduced by the UK within the wake of the U.S.-Israeli assaults in opposition to Iran. On Sunday, Mar. 1, a Royal Air Pressure Hurricane deployed to Qatar and working with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron, destroyed an Iranian drone heading for Qatar. A UK counter drone unit in Iraq additionally efficiently introduced down drones in Iraqi airspace which had been threatening coalition airbases.
Defending RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri, positioned on Cyprus however inside British territory, was struck by a one-way assault drone on the night of Mar. 1, 2026, thought to have been launched both by Iran or a regional proxy power. The assault prompted minimal injury and no accidents, and several other extra drones heading in direction of the bottom are understood to have been downed earlier than they might attain their goal.
As we said in a earlier article, though the UK Authorities acquired a major quantity of criticism for ‘permitting’ the drone assault to happen, it ought to be harassed that even a few of the most well-defended places within the Center East haven’t been capable of shield in opposition to each single munition despatched their method.
We do know that along with the F-35s deployed to the bottom throughout February, some extra capabilities together with air defence radars and counter-UAS (C-UAS) programs, had been additionally despatched, however it’s unimaginable to be definitively certain what has and what has not been deployed there within the cargo holds of the Royal Air Pressure’s strategic airlifters.
The helicopters as a result of be deployed are the Royal Navy’s Wildcat HMA2s, which have confirmed their value on this function throughout workout routines and had been tasked with guarding the HMS Prince of Wales Provider Strike Group from exactly some of these threats because it transited the Japanese Mediterranean, Suez Canal, and Purple Sea in 2025.
Two Wildcat helicopters could be operated from Kind 45 destroyers, and it’s seemingly that two of those helicopters might be ‘picked up’ because the deploying ship sails alongside the southern English coast previous RNAS Yeovilton on its method south.
Kind 45 Destroyer
Initially, it was speculated that HMS Duncan (D37) was the almost certainly candidate for a Kind 45 to deploy to the realm, however HMS Dauntless (D33) and Dragon had been additionally talked about as into consideration and at three days’ discover to sail. Of the three, Duncan is probably the most apparently prepared ship to deploy, having lately been at sea finishing workout routines coping with very well timed varieties of threats. Nevertheless, HMS Dragon was particularly talked about by the Prime Minister (PM) in his social media assertion in addition to the comply with up MoD press launch.
Because the state of affairs within the Center East stays risky, we’re deploying our Kind-45 Destroyer, HMS Dragon, to the Japanese Mediterranean.
We’re additionally sending two Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus to bolster drone defence for our Cypriot companions.
Working alongside our allies, our… pic.twitter.com/cWerOOVEsu
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 3, 2026
On the time of writing, HMS Dragon is scheduled to depart its lock at HMNB Portsmouth for the Higher Harbour Ammunitioning Facility (UHAF) at 2215 GMT on Mar. 3. The UHAF, in the course of Portsmouth Harbour, is the place Kind 45s are loaded with their Aster 15 and Aster 30 floor to air missiles. Apparently, although, HMS Duncan can also be scheduled to depart the harbour on Mar. 4.
Notably, in comparison with Duncan, Dragon has accomplished the Energy Enchancment Venture (PIP) improve which noticed the ship’s two diesel engines changed with three extra dependable and extra highly effective models. In addition to offering extra energy overheads for brand new tools, the challenge sought to mitigate reliability points which had infamously plagued the category whereas working in hotter waters just like the Mediterranean or East of Suez.
Kind 45 destroyers, often known as the Daring class, are the Royal Navy’s premier air defence vessels and are sometimes billed as one of the succesful air defence vessels at the moment in service. The ships at the moment boast 48 vertical launch system (VLS) cells, however are as a result of be steadily upgraded with an extra 24 devoted cells for the Widespread Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) or Sea Ceptor missile as carried by the Royal Navy’s frigates.
Every ship carries two highly effective radar programs – an S1850M lengthy vary search radar mounted aft, and a SAMPSON multi-function radar carried on the high of the built-in mainmast. Though at first look the Kind 45 seems to lack the flat-faced phased array radars that equip many fashionable warships, the near-spherical SAMPSON is in actual fact a hybrid system. As an alternative of a hard and fast radome, the place a mechanically scanned radar dish rotates contained in the dome, SAMPSON truly carries two energetic electronically scanned array (AESA) radar faces on both sides of the dome, which rotates in its entirety. This, in essence, means the radar is each electronically and mechanically scanning.
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In focus – the Royal Navy’s Sampson Radar pic.twitter.com/wt3IXzAJMF
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) Might 25, 2020
Through the use of two radar faces which might be assisted by mechanical rotation instead of 4 radar faces, as seen on ships just like the Arleigh Burke class destroyer, the Kind 45 is ready to mount its radar arrays far increased above the floor of the water. This grants a substantial benefit in opposition to low-flying targets like sea-skimming missiles, drones, and floor vessels.
That is an rising story and could also be up to date as new particulars turn out to be obtainable.
