Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon is returning to Portsmouth after almost seven months away on operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. The Type 45 destroyer is expected to sail into Portsmouth Harbour on Thursday, October 8, where families and well-wishers are set to gather to welcome the ship’s company home. According to harbour movement information, HMS Dragon is expected to pass the Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at around 11.50am. The warship should be visible in the Solent from around 11am before making her way into HMNB Portsmouth.

Families set to welcome crew home

Large crowds are expected along the Hot Walls as families wait to be reunited with personnel aboard the Portsmouth-based destroyer. HMS Dragon left her home port on March 10 after being rapidly prepared for deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Royal Navy said the ship was sent to strengthen British air defences in the region and protect UK interests.

Seven months of operations

After arriving in the Eastern Mediterranean, HMS Dragon worked alongside British and allied forces protecting Cyprus and the surrounding region. The destroyer later deployed east of the Suez Canal ahead of a potential multinational mission to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. During the deployment, Dragon also operated with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its carrier strike group in the Gulf of Aden. Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay later joined operations in the region as part of preparations for possible mine-clearance and freedom-of-navigation missions.

‘Time for home’

HMS Dragon has made stops in Malta and Gibraltar during her return journey to the UK. The ship’s deployment has taken her from Portsmouth to the Eastern Mediterranean, through the Red Sea and into waters around the Middle East before beginning the journey home. Her return marks the end of a deployment lasting almost seven months. Families, friends and members of the public are expected to gather around Portsmouth Harbour on Thursday morning to watch the Type 45 destroyer return to her home base.