Type 45 Destroyer

WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED WARSHIP COMPLETES STAGE ONE SEA TRIALS

The world's most advanced warship, HMS Daring, has completed her stage one sea trials and has received glowing reports after performing above all expectations.

The high standard of the ship's overall design is such that not a single one of her almost 800 compartments exceeds the habitability standards for vibration when operating at full power. Such an achievement would be unlikely on a luxury yacht and is a unique achievement for such a large, complex and powerful warship.

The first of the new Type 45 Daring Class destroyers has been put through her paces off the west coast of Scotland by BAE Systems engineers and the Royal Navy personnel who will form her permanent crew once she enters service in 2009.

Trials began on 18th July and have focused on testing the 'ship' part of 'warship' - the platform itself; propulsion systems, controls, key weapons engineering systems, navigation, radars and gyros, as well as the habitability of the ship including the galley, cabins, sewage treatment plant, ventilation and lighting.

Some of HMS Daring's achievements are;

• Against an initial design target of 28 knots, the ship has already comfortably exceeded 30 knots
• HMS Daring reached top speed in little over two minutes from a standing start, an outstanding performance for such a large ship.
• The ship has spent two days at the Benbecula range in the North Atlantic trialling its 4.5 inch gun and twin small calibre guns on the port and starboard sides.

On her return to Scotstoun, HMS Daring will continue with her systems integration and testing prior to stage two trialling in March 2008.

Commenting on the performance of HMS Daring, Commander David Shutts, the ship's senior Royal Navy officer, said: "It is early days in her life, but Daring has already lived up to the high standards that we have set for her. She promises to be a tremendous asset for the Royal Navy and the men and women who will serve on her."

BAE Systems Type 45 chief engineer David Downs said: "Delivering any programme as complex as the Type 45 presents huge challenges. To know that we are meeting those challenges and remain on target to deliver these superb ships to the Royal Navy is a huge boost to everyone on 'Team Daring'."

 

Type 45 information

The Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyers will provide the backbone of the Royal Navy’s air defences for much of the first half of the 21st century.

 

They will be able to engage a large number of targets simultaneously and defend aircraft carriers or groups of ships, such as an amphibious landing force, against the strongest future threats from the air. A versatile warship, the Type 45 will provide unprecedented detection and defensive capability and vastly improved living standards when the First of Class, Daring, enters service in 2009.They will be capable of contributing to worldwide maritime and joint operations in multi-threat environments, providing a specialist air-warfare capability.

 

The Type 45’s main armament is the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), a world-beating surface-to-air missile system developed under a trinational programme by France, Italy and the UK. This advanced weapon system will defend the Type 45, her consorts and other task force vessels against highly manoeuvrable hostile incoming aircraft and missiles approaching at subsonic and supersonic speed, individually or in salvoes.

 

Six of the class of up to eight ships are on order from BAE Systems. The First of Class, Daring, was launched in February 2006 by Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex. The other ships on order are Dauntless, launched on January 23rd 2007, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan.