Royal Navy ships take respite in Kenya after months in Middle East

HMS Dragon and RFA Lyme Bay have arrived in Mombasa for maintenance, resupply and crew rest after several months deployed in the Middle East. The visit takes the two ships temporarily away from preparations for a potential multinational operation in the Strait of Hormuz.

HMS Dragon sailed from the UK on 10 March, in the full glare of publicity, having been rushed out of maintenance at short notice as conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition erupted suddenly, threatening UK interests in Cyprus. She has now been away for nearly 5 months, and although not at sea for the whole time, has been operating in an active conflict zone for most of the deployment.

The destroyer and RFA Lyme Bay have subsequently been pre-positioned to give the UK options for a potential multinational maritime operation in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has largely closed the strategically important waterway, through which around 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil normally passes. There is currently little sign of a lasting peace that would allow mine clearance operations to begin.

RFA Lyme Bay has been deployed to the region as an Afloat Forward Support Base, carrying more than 270 personnel, including over 100 RN mine warfare, diving and explosive ordnance disposal specialists alongside Royal Marines, Army personnel and French sailors. The ship has embarked a range of autonomous and remotely operated minehunting systems. Lyme Bay passed through the Suez Canal on 19 June and continued south through the Red Sea in company with two German naval vessels under the protection of HMS Dragon, before they both arrived in Duqm.

During preparations for the potential operation, HMS Dragon worked with the French Carrier Strike Group led by aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (now back in France) and conducted live-firing gunnery training in the Arabian Sea in late July.

The ships are now alongside at Mombasa for what the Ministry of Defence describes as a “routine maintenance and resupply stop following a period of training and joint exercises”. The Kenyan visit also provides an opportunity for personnel to take some leave and enjoy a more exciting run ashore than potentially available at the relatively austere UK Joint Logistics Support Base at Duqm or Salalah in Oman. Both Omani ports are also within range of Iranian long-range drones.

Mombasa is a well-established run ashore for RN ships operating in the Arabian Sea or Indian Ocean. Crews can get away from the ship into the city and coastal resorts, while excursions further afield are also possible. When HMS Kent visited Mombasa during the 2021 Carrier Strike Group deployment, members of the ship’s company were able to go on safari during the port call. For Dragon and Lyme Bay, the visit provides a useful opportunity for proper rest after months deployed in a region where the security situation has significantly restricted normal routines ashore.

Mombasa also has a long association with the RN. HMS Westminster visited during counter-piracy operations in 2012, HMS Kent called in 2021 and HMS Lancaster spent time there in 2024, when her Royal Marines trained the Kenya Marine Commando Unit. Nine members of HMS Brilliant’s ship’s company were sadly killed when the frigate’s Lynx crashed near Mombasa in May 1989 while flying to the airport to collect families arriving during a break from Gulf operations. A memorial in the Mission to Seafarers chapel has subsequently become a place of remembrance for RN personnel visiting Kenya.

The Mombasa visit is also being used to reinforce UK-Kenyan defence relations, including cooperation on maritime security, counter-terrorism and regional stability. A reception was held on board on 11th August attended by senior political figures, representatives of the Kenya Defence Forces and business leaders. Britain has supported the development of the Kenya Marine Commando Unit and the two countries maintain close defence links under the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership and Security Compact agreed in July 2025.

If it is decided to maintain the RN presence in the Middle East, then HMS Dauntless is really the only suitable candidate to relieve HMS Dragon. RFA Lyme Bay can be sustained in theatre longer, as crew rotation (roughly every 4 months) is normal operating procedure.