Watch the moment GB News stars Charlie Peters and Andrew Pierce clashed over “talking down the Royal Navy” while discussing HMS Dragon being forced to dock for repairs during its mission to Cyprus.
Following an attack on the UK’s sovereign base, RAF Akrotiri, the Type-45 Destroyer was dispatched to the region to protect British personnel and infrastructure.
The ship spent weeks undergoing rapid repairs to make it seaworthy, but has now been taken out of action in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Covering the news throughout the day, a despairing Andrew began to refer to the vessel as “HMS Hopeless”.
Charlie was keen to address this characterisation, telling the GB News hosts that he was “slightly concerned” about the moniker.
“I think we are a little bit at risk of taking down the Royal Navy amid this situation,” he said.
“These sailors have grafted quite an extraordinary feat to get that ship out. It’s not. It’s not their fault.
“It’s not their fault that HMS Dragon is in the state,” Charlie insisted.
“I think that Dragon managed to get out of Portsmouth in the time it did is extraordinary.
He added: “I don’t think many other navies could have managed what it has done.”
Ahead of Dragon’s departure from the UK, naval personnel worked around the clock to equip her with Sea Ceptor missiles and supplies.
Defence Secretary John Healy said crews were working “tirelessly, 22 hours a day” to ready the ship for her Mediterranean mission.
As such, Charlie blamed the glacial deployment of the vessel and subsequent maintenance issues on “decades of very poor mod planning at very questionable decisions by ministers”.
Nevertheless, the GB News star said that the state of the British Navy was “deeply troubling”.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed to The People’s Channel that HMS Dragon is currently “undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
A spokesman said the pause enabled “the ship to take on board provisions, optimise systems, and conduct maintenance”.
“HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during this period, able to sail at short notice if required,” the spokesman added.
“The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in coordination with allies.
“This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.”
