The Type 45 destroyer, also known as the D or Daring-class, is a class of guided missile destroyers built for the United Kingdom's
Royal Navy. The class is primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile
warfare and is built around the PAAMS (Sea Viper) air-defence system utilizing
the SAMPSON AESA and the S1850M long-range radars. The first three destroyers
were assembled by BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions from partially
prefabricated "blocks" built at different shipyards, the remaining
three were built by BAE Systems Surface Ships. The first ship in the Daring class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February
2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009.
The Type 45
destroyers were built to replace the Type 42 destroyers that had served during
the Falklands War, with the last Type 42 being decommissioned in 2013. The
National Audit Office reported that, during an "intensive attack", a
single Type 45 could simultaneously track, engage and destroy more targets than
five Type 42 destroyers operating together.
After the launch of Daring on 1 February 2006 Admiral Sir Alan West, a former First
Sea Lord, stated that it would be the Royal Navy's most capable destroyer ever,
as well as the world's best air-defence ship. The reduction in the number to be procured
from twelve eventually down to six (in 2008) was controversial.
HMS Duncan is the sixth and last of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers
built for the Royal Navy. Duncan is named after Adam Duncan, Viscount Duncan of Camperdown (1
July 1731 – 4 August 1804), who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of
Camperdown on 11 October 1797.
Duncan's construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships
(now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships) yards at Govan and Scotstoun on the River
Clyde in 2006. She was launched from Govan on 11 October 2010,on the 213th
anniversary of the Battle of Camperdown). She entered service on 30 December 2013, 4
months ahead of schedule,
after a period of trials and training.
She is 152 meters
long (498 feet), has a crew of 180 (ands 60 troops when required), she will be
in service until at least 2040.
She is the last
in the class of the type 45 destroyer, her sisters are: Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender.
On 9 March 2007, The Independent reported that Saudi Arabia
was considering buying "two or three" Type 45s.
On 7 September 2007 it was
reported that Saudi Arabian officials had been invited to observe Daring's sea trials.
Hms Duncan is
seen here making her debut in The Firth of Forth on Friday 16th May
2014
