Royal Navy Support Ship on Heightened Readiness
The Royal Navy has placed the support ship RFA Lyme Bay on "heightened readiness" to potentially deploy to the eastern Mediterranean to assist British nationals in the Middle East if required, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed.
RFA Lyme Bay is equipped with an aviation platform and medical facilities, enabling it to support evacuation efforts and provide medical treatment.
The vessel is currently located in Gibraltar and has not yet been assigned a specific task. The MoD emphasized that this change in status is precautionary.
Additional Naval Deployments and Readiness
Alongside RFA Lyme Bay, the UK is dispatching the warship HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean. Defence Secretary John Healey announced on Monday that HMS Dragon is scheduled to depart from Portsmouth within the next few days.
Furthermore, HMS Prince of Wales, one of the UK's two aircraft carriers, has also been placed on heightened readiness in case its deployment becomes necessary.
Context of Regional Conflict and Evacuations
The conflict, which began on 28 February, has seen several Gulf nations hosting US facilities targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. This has prompted the UK government to organize evacuation flights for British citizens in the area.
"As part of prudent planning, we have taken the decision to bring RFA Lyme Bay to heightened readiness as a precaution, should she be needed to assist in maritime tasks in the Eastern Mediterranean,"an MoD spokesperson stated.
The MoD declined to specify the primary role of RFA Lyme Bay if deployed but noted that its capabilities as a support ship make it well-suited for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Capabilities and Recent Activities of RFA Lyme Bay
RFA Lyme Bay is a Bay Class landing ship, not a warship, primarily designed to deliver troops, vehicles, supplies, and ammunition during amphibious assaults.
The Sun reported that the Royal Air Force is expected to provide military medics and a mobile field hospital capable of operating aboard the ship.
Recently, RFA Lyme Bay has participated in joint exercises with the Indian Navy and NATO forces in Norway.
UK’s Position in Regional Military Operations
The UK government has not joined the US and Israel in offensive actions against Iran but has permitted the US to use UK airbases for what it describes as defensive strikes targeting Iranian missiles and launch sites.
The UK has faced criticism for its perceived slow response to the crisis. Currently, the Royal Navy does not have any major warships stationed in the Mediterranean.
Defence sources informed the BBC on Saturday that the crew of HMS Prince of Wales were instructed to be ready to sail within five days. However, an MoD spokesperson clarified on Tuesday that the carrier’s planned deployment to the North Atlantic remains unchanged.
HMS Dragon’s Role and Military Assets in Cyprus
HMS Dragon’s primary mission will be to protect Cyprus and the British airbase located there, following attacks on RAF Akrotiri by Iranian-made drones.
The government has highlighted that military assets have been positioned in the region since January, with additional deployments following the outbreak of the conflict.
The MoD confirmed that three Wildcat helicopters equipped with anti-drone capabilities, along with a Merlin helicopter, arrived in Cyprus this week.
Defence Secretary’s Statements on Regional Security
In a House of Commons speech on Monday, Defence Secretary John Healey reported that RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted and destroyed two Iranian drones—one over Jordan and another en route to Bahrain.
He also stated that F-35 jets were involved in neutralizing drones over Jordan.
Counter-drone units are actively defending coalition bases in Iraq, while UK jets conduct defensive sorties over the United Arab Emirates.
Regional Impact and Evacuations
Bahrain and the UAE are among several Gulf countries targeted by Iranian drone and missile strikes, some of which have hit civilian infrastructure such as hotels and airports.
Airspace restrictions remain in place across the region, but commercial flights are gradually resuming after many airlines canceled services.
The first UK government-chartered flight to repatriate British nationals from Oman arrived at Stansted Airport on Friday.
Healey noted that over 170,000 people have registered their presence in the region, with 37,000 UK citizens evacuated to date.
