RFA Lyme Bay sails to Cyprus as UK prepares for Lebanon evacuation

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Lyme Bay departed Gibraltar on Monday bound for Cyprus, the second British ship sent to the region following the destroyer HMS Dragon.

The Bay-class landing ship is preparing for potential evacuation operations as Israeli forces advance in Lebanon.

A defence ministry spokesman said Lyme Bay has sailed to undertake training and drills and is at heightened readiness to assist in maritime tasks in the Levant.

The vessel is equipped with aviation and medical facilities, allowing it to function as a hospital ship if required.

It has spent the past week in Gibraltar taking on supplies and medical equipment to support potential rescue operations.

The destroyer HMS Dragon, a Type 45 warship capable of intercepting drones and missiles, departed Portsmouth last week and is expected to arrive in Cyprus in the coming days.

Should Lyme Bay receive deployment orders, it would operate alongside Dragon to provide transport, medical support, and evacuation capability.

Approximately 173,000 British nationals are registered in the region, according to the foreign office.

A senior UK official said the deployment is part of precautionary planning amid escalating tensions, with British aircraft continuing defensive operations across Qatar, Cyprus, UAE, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Prime minister Kier Starmer defended the timing of the deployments, saying naval assets were being “carefully loaded with the anti-strike ammunition and capability that they need.”

He rejected criticism from opposition figures over delays, adding, “Our pilots in the region have been flying day and night, taking out incoming strikes, protecting the lives of others whilst risking their own.”

The deployment of the Lyme Bay follows the arrival of French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, German and Dutch naval assets to support regional stability.

Defence officials stressed that Lyme Bay will not be involved in operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where the UK is instead deploying drones for mine detection and missile interception.