RAF troops intercepted more than 100 Iranian drones and missiles fired at Middle East base
The coalition base was targeted by 28 drones and missiles linked to Iran a day during six weeks of the war
RAF forces shot down more than 100 Iranian drones and missiles while helping to defend a Middle East base amid the US-Israel attacks on Iran.
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A secret coalition base in Iraq that British forces were helping to defend was targeted by 28 drones and missiles linked to Iran a day during six weeks of the war.
RAF personnel shot down more than 100 of the unmanned aircraft out of the sky before a temporary ceasefire was agreed between the US and Iran in early April.
The base has hosted UK, US and other armed troops for more than 10 years to counter the threat from the Islamic State.
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It was one of the most targeted coalition bases in the Middle East as Iranian forces retaliated to the US-Israeli strikes.
There have been no direct hits in the last three weeks but troops are on standby in case fighting resumes.
Alistair Carns, the armed forces minister, told troops the base would "probably be a smouldering wreck if it wasn't for you guys," during a visit to the site last week with Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth.
Mr Smyth said the Ministry of Defence is discussing expanding the UK's counter-drone capability, stating the conflict had highlighted the importance of being able to shoot down drones.
"Yes, that's definitely a discussion that we're having," he told Sky News.
The RAF is also responsible for protecting Britain's skies from drones and missiles, as well as being deployed in the Middle East.
Mr Smyth said the UK's drone and missile defences will be boosted after investment dwindled following the end of the Cold War.
He said the development of an "Iron Dome" like Israel's missile defence system would be very expensive to develop, and that the extent of the protection in the UK would depend on the amount the government was willing to invest.
"If you wanted to have an equivalent of an Iron Dome over the whole of the UK, the numbers would be huge," he said when asked what level of protection the UK needed.
"If the discussion is around protecting key cities and key critical national infrastructure areas, then those numbers are smaller."
He added: "We do understand the task, and we do understand what the scale-up would be required, and that discussion is being had."