Armed Forces Champion sends message of support to HMS Dragon crew

Alec Doyle, Local democracy reporter

For the first time since World War II, a warship affiliated with Wrexham is being deployed to a conflict zone. 

HMS Dragon, a Type-45 Daring-class Air Defence Destroyer, is being sent to Cyprus to strengthen security around RAF Akrotiri and the Eastern Mediterranean. 

The move comes after the base was hit by a drone – believed to have been sent by Iran or one of its proxies – as part of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. 

Emblazoned with a roaring Welsh Dragon on her bow, HMS Dragon was launched in 2008 and bonded to the city of Wrexham in 2024. 

Last year, the ship’s crew of over 200 servicemen and women paraded through the streets of Wrexham to celebrate HMS Dragon being granted the Freedom of the City. 

The crew were back in Wrexham just last weekend to take part in a charity football match at Queensway against Wrexham Armed Forces Veterans in aid of Sands – the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity – where they helped raise over £1,400. 

Wrexham County Borough Council’s Armed Forces Champion Cllr Beverley Parry-Jones wished the crew a safe deployment on behalf of the people of Wrexham. 

“We have very strong links with the ship and the crew,” she said. “They attended the VE Day service, the D‑Day service, we had the Freedom Parade last year, and they were back here at the weekend helping raise money for charity with all this hanging over them. 

“I was privileged to meet some of their families on the weekend. Crew members from Mold, the Wirral, and Liverpool all had family come to see them play, and we were able to have a lovely time for a few short hours. 

“I want to send our thoughts to the ship, everyone on board and their families and say we all hope they all come home safe. 

“The people of Wrexham have such a strong bond with HMS Dragon. Personally, I don’t think that there’s any price that we can put on what they do to protect us. My thoughts are with them and their families at this extremely worrying time. 

“I hope that they will all stay safe and be careful. My phone last night didn’t stop with messages of support and people in Wrexham saying they will be thinking of them whilst they are on deployment. 

“I’m sure that they will all be ready to go, but let’s hope that this conflict will be over in a short time. 

“I’m proud of them, but words can’t describe how I feel about them today.” 

HMS Dragon is expected to provide added protection for RAF Akrotiri from aerial threats coming from Iran. 

It is equipped with the latest Sea Viper air defence system that can track multiple targets up to 250 miles away and destroy them within a 70-mile range. It can fire eight missiles in under 10 seconds while simultaneously guiding up to 16 missiles at a time. 

It also has a flight deck for one of the two Wildcat helicopters that are being deployed alongside it in Cyprus. 

On X Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote: “The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there. 

“We’re continuing our defensive operations, and I’ve just spoken with the President of Cyprus to let him know that we are sending helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and HMS Dragon is to be deployed to the region. 

“We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.”