This Royal Navy Wildcat HMA Mk2 is loaded onto an RAF C-17 by RAF movers and RN personnel at RNAS Yeovilton ahead of their flight to Cyprus

Before the Wildcats can be loaded on board the C-17, they need to be prepped for transit, the most obvious bit of work being the removal of the main rotor blades

Royal Navy 815 Squadron service personnel loads the Wildcats' rotor blades onto the back of the C-17 - the blades are made of composite materials and are durable, but still need careful handling

Upon arrival at RAF Akrotiri it was time to reverse the process, with personnel checking the Wildcat's landing gear was lined up with the unloading ramps

The Wildcats will provide a much-needed air defence capability to protect against aerial attacks such as the drone launched from Lebanon that hit Akrotiri last week

The Wildcat now needs to have its main rotor blades reattached and undergo extensive safety checks before it can take to the air and start doing its job

Epic Fury

Working together: Royal Navy Wildcats taken to Cyprus aboard RAF C-17 transport aircraft

The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have been working together to deliver Wildcat HMA2 helicopters to Cyprus.

RAF movers and RN personnel loaded the aircraft onto an RAF C-17 Globemaster III at RNAS Yeovilton, ready to be flown to RAF Akrotiri – one of the key sovereign bases on the Eastern Mediterranean island.

Armed with air-to-air Martlet missiles to take down drones fired at the island, the Wildcats were offloaded from the C-17 transport plane, which is operated by 99 Squadron.

Wildcat and Martlet a winning combination

Although it has still to be tested in action, the Wildcat-Martlet combination has proved successful on test ranges, with aircrew repeatedly destroying aerial drones.

The Commanding Officer of 815 NAS, Commander James Woods, said: "The deployment of 815 Naval Air Squadron Wildcat attack helicopters to Cyprus demonstrates our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats and protect UK interests wherever they arise.

"We bring a highly capable strike capability, and in this role they are providing a vital layer of defence against uncrewed aerial systems targeting UK Sovereign Base Areas.

"I'm immensely proud of the professionalism and adaptability shown by our engineers, logisticians and aviators.

"The current threat environment demands speed, adaptability and close integration with joint partners, while our advanced sensors and precision missiles ensure we can detect, track and, when necessary, defeat hostile drones before they threaten our people or infrastructure."

He went on: "This deployment highlights the flexibility of Maritime Aviation Strike, delivered by Wildcat HMA2, and the commitment of 815 NAS to protect UK interests abroad and at home.

"Our people train constantly for exactly this kind of mission, and it's a privilege to see their professionalism and combat readiness delivering protection of Cyprus."

All images courtesy of the Ministry of Defence