The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale joined the UK's Royal Air Force Voyager on a defensive mission from the British Bases in Cyprus to hunt down Iranian drones. He describes the large refuelling aircraft as the “giant petrol station in the sky” for the Typhoon and F-35 jets which have been patrolling the skies over Cyprus and Jordan for the past month.
Beale notes that these defensive air missions – part of ‘Operation Luminous’ – are being conducted day and night, ever since the US and Israel began their bombing campaign against Iran on February 28, 2026.
Below is an excerpt from Beale’s account of his experience:
From the cockpit of the Voyager we watched the shimmering lights of Cyprus fade into the distance. We were getting closer to the coast of Israel and Lebanon.
From that direction we see a brief flash of orange light. One of the crew points to it and tells me: "Quite often you can see either incoming missiles from Iran or the Israeli response."
"It might be the Iron Dome from Israel," the pilot interjects over the intercom, referring to the country's air defence system.
"We don't know for sure," he adds, "but there's a lot of kinetic things happening in that area at the moment".
Nine-hour mission
The BBC correspondent reports that during the nine-hour mission, the Typhoon and F-35 jets refuel seven times, taking on a total of 30 tonnes of aviation fuel.
Since the bombing of Iran began, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and US-allied neighbouring countries through an air campaign of missiles and drones, British jets operating out of Cyprus and Qatar have shot down several drones.
“They won't say exactly how many times they've fired their sophisticated advanced short range air-to-air missiles (ASRAAM) to take down a drone, but it's in the single figures. It's an expensive golden bullet to bring down a relatively cheap fibreglass drone,” says Beale.
Squadron Leader "Bally", an RAF F-35 pilot, explains the complexity of the mission.
"Operating on a fast jet is already a dangerous business", he says. "Let alone when trying to target something close to the surface."
With the drones flying low and slow, he says that "there's a risk of flying into the ground".
The threats, he says, are "not just enemy activity", but also the dangers of flying too close to other jets operating in the area.
During the mission that the BBC joined, no targets were identified.
‘Sufficient preparations’
The BBC notes that despite criticism of not being adequately prepared for the conflict, government ministers have repeatedly said they made sufficient preparations – moving in additional jets, air defence systems and personnel to Cyprus weeks before the conflict started.
Maj Gen Tom Bewick, Commander British Forces Cyprus, insisted there'd been "prudent planning" before the war – including additional ground-based air defences and radar.
“But that didn't stop a drone hitting the base on the second night of the war,” said Beale, noting that the drone – with a two-metre wingspan – hit a hangar on a side of the base used by the US Air Force.
“It's well known the US regularly flies a U-2 spy plane from RAF Akrotiri, though it's not publicly acknowledged,” he wrote.
According to the BBC, the drone had been tracked by radar approaching the base, giving enough time to sound the air raid warning and to get people out of harm's way.
Gen Bewick said the damage was minimal.
"They didn't get much bang for their buck," he says, adding that he "suspects" whoever fired it "hit what they were aiming at".
The British General noted that since the strike, Akrotiri's air defences have been "thickened".
Another strike at bases possible
At present, RAF Akrotiri hosts eight Typhoon jets and eight F-35 jets, along with Wildcat helicopters fitted with short range air defence missiles and Merlin helicopters with Early Warning Radar.
The Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Dragon, is now providing additional air defences operating off the coast of Cyprus. The BBC quotes Gen Bewick saying he's "chuffed to bits" to have a "super high-end" warship in the region, adding however that they now have good air defences on the base.
According to the BBC, Iran has publicly stated that RAF Akrotiri is a target. Gen Bewick said he'd be "a fool not to take the Iranians at their word". He acknowledges the base "could easily be attacked again", but says it's now "as well protected as it can be".
‘Sovereignty not up for debate’
The BBC notes that most of the service families who left their homes after the attack have now returned. The air raid warnings are less frequent – with improved intelligence and detection.
According to Beale, the UK has also been giving assurances to Cyprus, following President Nikos Christodoulides’ call for "open and frank discussions" about the future of RAF Akrotiri.
While Gen Bewick says he's now working in close co-operation with the Cypriot authorities, he stresses the UK's sovereignty of the base "is not up for debate".
Stretched armed forces
Concluding, the BBC writes that the heightened defence posture at RAF Akrotiri will inevitably stretch the UK's already strained armed forces, adding that some of the Royal Navy helicopters based there were supposed to join the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on her planned voyage to the North Atlantic.
RAF jets have paused their decade-long counter ISIS missions "Operation Shader", while they focus on defending Cyprus.
Group Captain Adam Smolak, the Station Commander at RAF Akrotiri, does not expect a quick end to the war. He predicts they'll be defending the base "for quite some time to come".
“History suggests that US military interventions in this volatile region is rarely quick or easy,” says Beale.