Royal Air Force F-35B jets have shot down Iranian-launched one-way attack drones over Jordan in what the UK described as the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target in combat operations, as Britain moved to reinforce defenses around its main Middle East air base on Cyprus.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said the F-35Bs operated over Jordanian airspace alongside RAF Typhoon fighters and a Voyager tanker supporting the patrol. The shootdowns came amid a wider surge of Iranian drones and missiles launched across the region after US and Israeli strikes, pushing several countries to strengthen layered air defenses.
US Head of Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, said on March 3, 2026, that Iran has so far launched more than 2,000 drones and more than 500 ballistic missiles at targets across the Middle East.
The Ministry of Defence did not disclose how many drones the RAF’s F-35Bs engaged.
The UK announcement followed a drone strike that hit the runway at RAF Akrotiri, Britain’s base on Cyprus. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain will deploy HMS Dragon, a Type 45 air-defense destroyer, along with helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities to help protect the base and surrounding airspace.
HMS Dragon carries the Sea Viper air-defense system and radar designed to track and engage airborne threats. Starmer said the UK remained committed to the security of Cyprus and British personnel stationed there, and he said he had spoken with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides about the deployment.
Britain said its forces engaged multiple drone threats across the region on March 3. In addition to the F-35B interceptions over Jordan, the Ministry of Defence said a British counter-drone team took down drones in Iraqi airspace that were heading toward US forces.
Britain also reported a separate shootdown involving a Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron. The ministry said the Typhoon downed an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar, underscoring how the conflict has driven partners to conduct defensive counter-UAS missions beyond their borders.
France and Greece said they will send anti-missile and anti-drone systems after the Akrotiri base came under attack, according to Reuters. The move adds European support to a growing regional effort to blunt Iranian drone salvos that governments say have targeted military sites and critical infrastructure.