Sea Weapons

Guided Missile Destroyer (2009)

Daring (Type 45) class

HMS Daring (D32)

The Type 45 or Daring-class are the most modern air defense destroyers in the Royal Navy, replacing the venerable Type 42s that had been the mainstays of the fleet into the 21st century. The Type 45 was conceived from the NATO NFR-90 frigate requirement and is designed around the Sea Viper air defense system, itself based on the PAAMS, a common British, French and Italian design. The Sea Viper is composed of the SAMPSON AESA radar and the S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar which in conjunction can track as many as 2,000 targets while coordinating numerous missiles simultaneously. These are either Aster 15 or 30 anti-aircraft missiles, fired from 48 VLS launchers. Unlike the US AEGIS, the SAMPSON is composed of two rotating planar arrays located at the top of a mast. This reduces volume and extends the horizon distance. The design of the ship also incorporates numerous stealth elements such as multi-faceted surfaces and panels to hide the deck equipment and life rafts. Other anti-aircraft defenses include Oerlikon guns and Phalanx CIWS. Other armament includes two quadruple Harpoon launchers and a 4.5-in Mk. 8 gun. The Type 45 can also carry either a single Merlin or two Lynx ASW helicopters in a large enclosed hangar. Despite their formidable air defense capabilities, the Type 42 destroyers have been criticized for their high cost, weak anti-surface and anti-ship capabilities, and the small number produced (only six from an original requirement for 12). They will nevertheless be the most powerful surface ships in the Royal Navy for the foreseeable future.

None of the Type 45 ships have been involved in major operations although some have undertaken anti-piracy patrols or escort duties in the Middle East. HMS Diamond was notable for escorting ships carrying chemical weapons from Syria in 2014.

Preceded by:

Sheffield (Type 42) (1975)

Succeeded by:

None

Datafile

ClassDaring
TypeGuided Missile Destroyer
Year2006
Crew191
Dimensions
Length152.4 m
Beam21.2 m
Draught7.4 m
Displacement
Empty8,000 t
Loaded8,500 t
Performance
Speed56 km/h
Range12,964 km @ 33 km/h
Machinery
Shafts2
Turbines2 x Gas turbine
28,800 hp
Rolls-Royce
WR-21

2 x Diesel engine
2,700 hp
Wärtsilä
12V200

2 x Electric motor
27,000 hp
Converteam
Fuel-
Armament
Main1 x 114-mm/55 (1 x 1)
4.5-in Mk. 8
-10° / +55°

Anti-Aircraft2 x 30-mm (2 x 1)
GCM-AO3
2 x 20-mm (2 x 1)
Phalanx CIWS
2 x 8-mm (2 x 1)
GAU-17
Launcher48 x Sylver A50 VLS
AA WeaponsAster 15 (48)
Aster 30 (48)
AS WeaponsRGM-84 (2 x 4)
Armor
ArmorNone
Sensors
RadarSAMPSON
S1850M
Raytheon IBNS
Series 2500
SonarMFS-7000
Aircraft
Helicopters1-2
Production
Built6
Total6

Registry

Ship Code Builder Laid Launch Comm Decomm Fate
Daring D32 BAE Systems28/03/200301/02/200623/07/2009-Active
Dauntless D33 BAE Systems26/08/200423/01/200703/06/2010-Active
Diamond D34 BAE Systems25/02/200527/11/200706/05/2011-Active
Dragon D35 BAE Systems19/12/200517/11/200820/04/2012-Active
Defender D36 BAE Systems31/07/200621/10/200921/03/2013-Active
Duncan D37 BAE Systems26/01/200711/10/201026/09/2013-Active

Gallery