Second U.K. Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer Sails to Delivery

[Metallic]

Dauntless Departs Clyde as Day Breaks
UNITED KINGDOM - 30 NOVEMBER 2009

GLASGOW, United Kingdom --- Dauntless, the second of the Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyers for the Royal Navy, has left the Clyde for the final time today.

BAE Systems employees from the Clyde yards gathered at the quayside in the early morning to wave the ship off on her delivery voyage to her home port of Portsmouth. The occasion marked the culmination of five years of hard work for the employees, who have put their heart and soul into building the formidable warship for the Royal Navy.

Reflecting the close partnership developed with the Royal Navy during the build and subsequent sea trials of Dauntless, Commanding Officer Captain Richard Powell granted Honorary Membership of the Wardroom to two BAE Systems employees ahead of the ship’s departure. The exceptional move recognises the service that ship manager David Connelly and operations manager Joe McEwan have given to Dauntless and cements their long-term affiliation with the ship’s crew.

Angus Holt, UK Programmes Director at BAE Systems’ Surface Ships business, said: “This is a fantastic day for our workforce, both on the Clyde and in Portsmouth, who have each played a vital role in creating such a remarkable ship for the Royal Navy.

“I’m proud of the dedication that the team has shown to ensure that Dauntless is built to highest possible standards and of the achievements of David and Joe who have worked tirelessly with the ship’s crew to get us where we are today.”

Commenting on his Honorary Membership, David Connelly said: “It’s a real honour to receive this award from the ship’s Captain. Joe and I have worked on Dauntless since her first steel cut back in 2004 and have an enormous sense of pride in the ship. This delivery voyage to hand her over to the Royal Navy marks the final stage of our current roles and it’s great to know that now we’ll always be welcome back on board.”

Dauntless will set sail under the BAE Systems flag, with a combined crew of BAE Systems and Royal Navy personnel. She will enter her home port of Portsmouth on Wednesday, where she will be handed over to the Royal Navy during a formal ceremony alongside the following day.

BAE Systems signed a £309 million seven year support contract with the Ministry of Defence earlier this year in a move that will provide the high quality through life support for the Type 45 fleet that's essential to ensure that the Royal Navy can continue to deliver the high demands placed upon it around the world.

Once in service, the fleet of six Type 45 destroyers will provide the backbone of the UK's naval air defences for the next 30 years and beyond. The Type 45s will be capable of carrying out a wide range of operations, including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, disaster-relief work and surveillance operations as well as high intensity warfighting.

Each destroyer 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. The vessels will contribute a specialist air warfare capability to worldwide maritime and joint operations until 2040.

Source: BAE Sytems

U.K. Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dauntless

 

[Metallic]

U.K. Royal Navy takes delivery of second Type 45 Destroyer
UNITED KINGDOM - 3 DECEMBER 2009

Portsmouth, United Kingdom | HMS Dauntless, the second of the Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyers has been handed over to the Ministry of Defence at a ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base today.

BAE Systems, which is building the fleet of six Type 45 destroyers, handed over HMS Dauntless to the Royal Navy's Deputy Commander-In-Chief Fleet, Vice Admiral Richard Ibbotson. During the ceremony, the BAE Systems company flag was lowered and the Royal Navy's white ensign was raised over the ship's flight deck for the first time.

Angus Holt, UK Programmes Director at BAE Systems' Surface Ships business, said: "Today is the culmination of hard work, commitment and a fantastic partnership between BAE Systems, the Royal Navy and our suppliers to produce one of the finest ships in the world.

"Everyone involved in creating this ship should be extremely proud of their achievements. HMS Dauntless is a magnificent feat of engineering and I am delighted to hand her over to the Royal Navy on behalf of BAE Systems today."

Vice Admiral Richard Ibbotson said: "The Royal Navy is looking forward to Her Majesty's Ship Dauntless taking her place in the Fleet with much anticipation and congratulates everyone involved in delivering her this far. HMS Dauntless and her sister ships are world beaters and the people of the Royal Navy are second to none. This is a winning combination, and the ship provides us with the tools to do the job, whatever the country requires of us, for years to come. It is therefore with great excitement that we welcome the cutting edge capability that the new T45 displays.

"With the ability to integrate both land and air forces, HMS Dauntless truly is a joint asset and will carry out a wide range of operations, whilst remaining a highly effective air defence ship."

The Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said: "The six Type 45s will be the largest and most powerful destroyers ever operated by the Royal Navy. With the second of class now in the hands of the Ministry of Defence, we are forging ahead to deliver an unparalleled air defence capability to the Royal Navy.

"HMS Dauntless has gone through several stages of sea trials in which she has truly impressed the ship's company. She will now embark on a final set of trials that will really put her to the test before she is commissioned into the Navy in the summer of 2010."

The first steel was cut on HMS Dauntless in 2004 and she was launched from BAE Systems' Govan shipyard in Glasgow in January 2007. After extensive sea trials she set sail from the Clyde on Saturday morning under the BAE Systems flag, with a combined crew of BAE Systems and Royal Navy personnel, and made her first entry into her home port of Portsmouth yesterday. She follows HMS Daring, the Royal Navy's first Type 45 destroyer, which arrived in Portsmouth in January this year.

The prime role of the Type 45 destroyer will be air defence - protecting UK national and allied and coalition forces against enemy aircraft and missiles. The technology onboard the Type 45 will set new standards in air defence, capable of defending the Type 45 and ships in its company from multiple attacks from even the most sophisticated anti-ship missiles and aircraft.




Source: BAE Systems