The World’s Most Advanced Warship

HMS Daring, the first of a planned class of eight Type 45 destroyers, will be launched from BAE Systems Naval Ships Scotstoun yard on February 1st. When she enters service later this decade she will be the world’s most advanced anti-air warfare destroyer.

The World’s Most Advanced Warship

HMS Daring, the first of a planned class of eight Type 45 destroyers, will be launched from BAE Systems Naval Ships Scotstoun yard on February 1st. When she enters service later this decade she will be the world’s most advanced anti-air warfare destroyer.

Designed to provide a robust air defence umbrella for a carrier strike force or amphibious task group, she and her sisters are breaking new ground in terms of their design, construction, combat system capability, habitability, propulsion and power engineering.

The Type 45 programme is designed to provide the Royal Navy with a versatile destroyer capable of contributing to worldwide maritime and joint operations for much of the first half of this century. As well as providing a specialist air warfare capability, they will also afford the fleet a general-purpose multi-role platform capable of performing tasks from peace support and defence diplomacy through to high-intensity warfare.

At approximately 7,350 tonnes displacement Daring will be the largest surface combatant built for the RN since the Second World War. Daring will be able to transit 7,000 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots, and reach a maximum speed of over 27 knots if called upon to re-deploy at short notice.

As well as breaking new ground in the capability she will offer to the Royal Navy, the Type 45 has seen radical changes to the way ships are designed and built in the UK.

The warship design was undertaken at a number of sites throughout the UK, predominantly at the Type 45 Prime Contract Office in Filton, the BAE Systems Type 45 Platform Design Centre in Scotstoun and VT Shipbuilding premises in Portsmouth and Southampton. The detailed spatial integration, using the CADDS5 computer-aided design tool, has resulted in a comprehensive three dimensional electronic model within which every piece of physical structure, pipework, ducting, machinery, equipment and ship furniture has been defined in extraordinary detail.

Daring has been assembled from large pre-outfitted ‘megablock’ modules, an approach designed to increase build efficiency and thus drive down construction man-hours. In Daring’s case the aft or rear blocks were built at BAE Systems’ yard in Govan and floated downriver to Scotstoun, the mid sections were built in Scotstoun and the bow was built by VT in Portsmouth before being floated all the way up the West coast of the country and up the Clyde. This division of the work between yards across the UK has pioneered a new way of building complex warships and the same concept will be applied, at a larger scale, to the construction of the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers.

David Downs, Chief Engineer.

Principal Anti Air Missile System

HMS Daring's main weapon will be the Principal Anti Air Missile System (PAAMS). This system will monitor the airspace for hundreds of miles around the fleet she is protecting and will ensure that no current or envisaged airborne threat will get through

Traditionally, warships were built in one location. Daring has been constructed as 6 separate blocks. The blocks were built at BAE Systems Naval Ships’ yards at Govan and Scotstoun and at VT's Portsmouth yard. The completed blocks were then welded together at Scotstoun.

These cutaway illustrations show just how complex HMS Daring is. To download more detailed versions of these, please go to http://www.baesystems.com/type45/downloads.htm

A Royal Launch

Warships always have a Lady Sponsor who names and launches the ship. Such is the importance of the Type 45 project that she will have a Royal Sponsor. She will be launched by HRH The Countess of Wessex.

An Industry With A future

Modern shipbuilding brings together a huge variety of people with a huge variety of skills. Up until Monday February 27th we will be recruiting craft apprentices. If you wish to apply online you can do so at Apprentice applications

Right from the beginning of the Type 45 project the comfort of the crew and the standard of their accommodation has been of primary importance.

Living conditions

Right from the beginning of the Type 45 project the comfort of the crew and the standard of their accommodation has been of primary importance.

As an example, on previous generations of RN ships the sleeping areas for ratings also doubled up as their recreation space. But aboard Daring, all ranks will benefit from dedicated and spacious recreation areas with audio-visual entertainment, bar facilities and comfortable seating. These living areas will offer levels of comfort and amenity never before seen on the RN’s front-line warships. Furthermore, it will be possible to partition these areas in order that there can be TV areas separate from social and recreational areas, and a quiet zone for studying or reading.

Another first is the provision of a fitness centre. While many RN ships currently carry pieces of exercise equipment, Daring is the first vessel to have a dedicated multi-gym on board.

Accommodation has been designed to meet the latest RN standards, providing a significant increase in space for each crew member relative to existing warships. Cabins are of modular construction, fully carpeted and outfitted with wipe clean furniture. Berths are at least 1.97 metres long ( 6 ft 6 ins.) and 850 mm wide (2 ft 9 ins.). Junior rates will share six-berth cabins, while senior rates will occupy either single- or twin-berth cabins. Officers will have single-berth cabins, with officers under training sharing twin-berth accommodation. Provision will be made to berth about 235 personnel, although it is currently envisaged that the normal complement will be no more than 190. There will be appropriate provisions to allow for the embarkation of a 60-strong Royal Marines or Special Forces detachment, complete with their weapons, equipment and boats.

Daring has been designed for worldwide operations, therefore her heating, ventilation and air conditioning system has been designed to ensure crew comfort in temperature extremes from the Poles to the Gulf.

Delivering capability

It is vital that Royal Navy crews can stay fit while they are at sea. Daring is the first RN warship to be designed with a dedicated fitness centre on board. The Crew can also stay fit by jogging around the flight deck where 16 laps will equal one mile.

The modern Navy

The Type 45 is the first warship to be completely gender neutral. This reflects the greater diversity in serving personnel in the modern Navy.

Comfortable and modern

Junior sailors can currently find themselves sharing a cabin with dozens of their colleagues. When Daring enters service her crew will have to share with, at the very most, 5 other sailors.

HMS Daring

Daring will be the seventh RN ship to bear that name. Her distinctive crest recalls a young Roman soldier, Gaius Mucius, who was threatened with torture for trying to kill an enemy king. To prove he was not afraid he thrust his right hand into a brazier until it was completely burned. Read more about the history of Daring here: History

Fit for action

It is vital that Royal Navy crews can stay fit while they are at sea. Daring is the first RN warship to be designed with a dedicated fitness centre on board. The Crew can also stay fit by jogging around the flight deck where 16 laps will equal one mile.

World beating

HMS Daring’s main weapon will be the Principle Anti Air Missile System (PAAMS). This system will monitor the airspace for hundreds of miles around the fleet she is protecting and will ensure that no current or envisaged airborne threat will get through.

Royal Launch

When a new ship is launched, she is named by a Lady Sponsor. HMS Daring will have a Royal launch on Wednesday as the Lady Sponsor will be Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.

When a new ship is launched, she is named by a Lady Sponsor. HMS Daring will have a Royal launch on Wednesday as the Lady Sponsor will be Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.

Everyone knows that when a ship is launched the Lady Sponsor breaks a bottle of Champagne on the bow and names her with the words “I name this ship”. What is less well known is what happens when the bottle breaks.

Daring is currently sitting on top of two wooden platforms called a sliding way and a standing way. If it were free to do so, the force of gravity would cause the sliding way to move over the top of the standing way and all that’s stopping that from happening are four triggers.

When the bottle breaks, BAE Systems Naval Ships’ Harbour Master John Tibbs will push a button which will release the triggers and Daring will accelerate to five metres per second as she slides into the Clyde.

The electronic mechanism which releases the triggers has been carefully designed to ensure that the release does happen but if it should fail there are four men with sledgehammers whose job it is to knock the triggers out manually.

As she starts to move into the river, Daring will quickly accelerate to between five and six metres per second (11-13 mph). The job of slowing her will fall to 680 tonnes of drag chains which were attached to the ship in December. The chains are forty tonnes heavier on the port side so that as she slows she will also turn downriver.

Following launch Daring will move a few hundred yards downriver to number 2 dry dock where the remainder of the work will be carried out.

Harbour Master

Launching a warship is a massive logistical exercise. BAE Systems Naval Ships Harbour Master John Tibbs is the man responsible for making the launch go smoothly as well as pushing the button whichlaunches the ship when the champagne breaks.

The Slipway

Daring will build up a significant momentum during her journey down the slipway. In order to arrest her speed there are 680 tonnes of drag chains attached to her. As there are more chains on the port side (the left side as you stand on the ship looking at the bow) she will also turn downriver as she slows.

CGI Photos

Obviously, we can’t see the launch until it happens but thesecomputer generated images give an idea of what will happen on the day.

History

Daring will be the seventh RN ship to bear that name. Her distinctive crest recalls a young Roman soldier, Gaius Mucius, who was threatened with torture for trying to kill an enemy king. To prove he was not afraid he thrust his right hand into a brazier until it was completely burned. Read more about the history of Daring here: http://www.baesystems.com/type45/type45_5.htm

Disaster Relief

The Greek Island of Kefalonia has a street named HMS Daring Street. The Street was named in honour of the fact that the sixth Daring was the first ship on the scene after a massive earthquake on August 12th 1953. The crew of Daring carried out most of the initial humanitarian work and searches for survivors.

The Place to be

All of the available tickets for the launch have now been issued. We received over thirteen thousand applications and we have issued 11 thousand tickets. If you weren't lucky enough to receive a ticket, we expect the launch to be broadcast live on television in the UK and we hope to make video footageavailable here as soon as possible after the event.

Launch Day

Click here to view the official launch of HMS Daring by HRH the Countess of Wessex

Select the timeline launch day to view a slideshow of launch images.

For this information please come back on 18 January

For this information please come back on 25 January

For this information please come back on 1 February

The Launch of HMS Daring took place on the first of February 2006 at 14:25. She was launched from BAE Systems NavalShips Scotstoun yard. Please use this website to find out everything you need to know about the most advanced warship in the world.

When Daring is completed she will be handed over to the Royal Navy. Come back here on Wednesday the 18th to hear what capability she will deliver to the Navy from Commander Hodkinson

When the Champagne bottle breaks, the triggers holding Daring in place are released. The man who pushes the button to release the triggers is BAE SYstems Naval Ships Harbour Master John Tibbs. Come back here on Wednesday 25th to hear more about the launch from John

Press

Read the latest updates on the Type 45 programme. Click on the links below to view the most recent releases.

1 Feb 2006

Press Release 2

31 Jan 2006

Press Release 1

22 Dec 2005

Update Issue 6

5 Dec 2005

Update Issue 5

29 Jul 2005

Update Issue 4

01 Jun 2005

Update Issue 3

01 Apr 2005

Update Issue 2

01 Mar 2005

Update Issue 1

Charles Thompson, Head of Communications, BAE Systems Naval Ships
t: +44 (0)141 957 4449
m: +44 (0)7736 810 933
e: charles.thompson2@baesystems.com

Colin Edgar, External Communications Manager, BAE Systems Naval Ships
t: +44 (0)141 957 4464
m: +44 (0)7801 717 860
e: colin.edgar@baesystems.com