U.K. Royal Navy HMS Daring undertakes ammunition trials

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HMS Daring undertakes ammunition trials
UNITED KINGDOM - 3 SEPTEMBER 2009

HMS Daring, the Royal Navy's newest and most powerful warship, made her first visit to Marchwood military port in Southampton this week for ammunition handling and loading trials.

The Type 45 destroyer arrived at the port, known as the Sea Mounting Centre, for a 24-hour visit as part of ongoing trials designed to test all parts of the ship's capabilities before she is formally accepted into the Royal Navy fleet - and able to be deployed anywhere in the world - early next year.

HMS Daring's Commanding Officer, Captain Paddy McAlpine, said:

"The visit to Marchwood is an important part of the ship's trials programme and we will be working hard to make sure we come through it successfully."

HMS Daring - the first of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 destroyers - was built and launched in Glasgow and made her first entry into her home port of Portsmouth Naval Base in January. The second, Dauntless, is undergoing sea trials and will arrive at Portsmouth Naval Base for the first time early next year.

The main weapon of the Type 45 is the sophisticated and lethal Principal Anti-Air Missile System, comprising a multi-function radar (MFR), automatic command and control system, and surface-to-air missiles operating in conjunction with long-range and early warning radar.

The MFR can detect all types of targets out to a distance of 400km and is capable of tracking hundreds of targets simultaneously. Her long-range radar provides a 3D search capability and can track up to 1,000 targets.

The Type 45 also has a comprehensive suite of other weapons and equipment, including a 4.5-inch (114mm) main gun for shore bombardment, and is equipped with a surface ship torpedo defence system, protecting it against the most advanced torpedoes.

Daring's on-board power plant can supply enough electricity to light a town of 80,000 people, and she is fitted with enough electrical cable to circle the M25 motorway three times.



Interesting Facts:

-- Daring is affiliated with both Birmingham and Guernsey.

-- Two and a quarter million man hours have been spent fitting her out.

-- The hull structure is made of 2,800 tonnes of steel which is more than the
weight of the Blackpool Tower. Approximately 40 tonnes of paint will have
to be applied to cover an area of 100,000 square metres of steel.

-- The PAAMS air defence missile is the size of a public telephone box, weighs two thirds as much as a small car, and from launch accelerates to a speed twice that of Concorde in under ten seconds. The missile's flight manoeuvres as it closes in on a target are ten times more severe than a human could withstand.

-- Her 152-metre length is equivalent to more than 16 double-decker buses
laid end-to-end and she is as high as an electricity pylon.

-- Her onboard power plant can supply enough electricity to light a town of
80,000 people.

-- Her fuel tanks have a volume equivalent to approximately half that of an
olympic-sized swimming pool.

-- She contains 220 beds, 26 sofa beds, 22 single beds and has her own
hospital facilities complete with operating table. She is fitted with one
bath, 44 showers, 54 toilets and 100 wash basins.

-- She is fitted with enough carpet to cover nearly two five-a-side football
pitches.

-- She has 404 telephones (mainly internal) and is fitted with enough
electrical cable to circle the M25 three times.


Source: U.K. Ministry Of Defence

 

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Support secured for Type 45 fleet
UNITED KINGDOM - 16 SEPTEMBER 2009

Future support for the Royal Navy's new destroyers has been confirmed by Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies today, Wednesday 16 September 2009.

The announcement of a £309m contract being awarded to BVT Surface Fleet secures the in-service support for Type 45 class vessels HMS Daring and her sister ships for up to seven years, starting in January 2010.

HMS Daring is scheduled to enter service with the Royal Navy in February 2010 and will provide a step-change in the Royal Navy's air defence capability.

The other ships in the class, Dauntless, Diamond and Dragon, will come into service later in 2010 and HMS Defender is due to be launched later this year.

The Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:

"BVT bring in-depth knowledge of these destroyers that will assure the high quality support that is essential to the continued delivery of this world class capability.

"The contract is expected to sustain around one hundred and twenty quality jobs, primarily in Portsmouth, and many more with key supply chain partners across the country, helping to retain the essential skills we need in this industry.

"The Type 45 is setting the standard for the modern Royal Navy, providing a multi-role asset combining state-of-the-art power and propulsion systems, a world class weapons system and modern accommodation for its crew."

The majority of maintenance work will be carried out at Portsmouth Naval Base, the Type 45s' home port, with the contract covering support for platform equipments such as the galley apparatus as well as more complex machinery, including the propulsion system.

The Director of Ships at MOD Defence Equipment and Support, Rear Admiral Bob Love, said:

"The Type 45 support solution is an innovative contract which sees the prime contractor for the build of the ships providing in-service support, ensuring high quality support at best value of money for Defence.

"BVT will manage equipment availability to agreed targets, incentivising them to minimise the cost of support by improving equipment reliability. This is the first time this arrangement has been used for a major warship."

BVT Chief Executive Alan Johnston said:

"This contract demonstrates an entirely new and genuinely innovative approach to providing the support that the ships and sailors of the Royal Navy need and deserve. The key requirement for Type 45 support is not only to ensure that ships are available when required by the Royal Navy but to reduce the costs of supporting the ships through life.

"Working more closely in partnership with both our customers and our major partners will ensure that the Royal Navy is able to deliver its operational commitments around the world."

HMS Daring is currently completing MOD-led sea trials before she is delivered into service with the Royal Navy, scheduled in early 2010, and HMS Dauntless has just completed her second set of contractor-led sea trials.

The third ship, Diamond, is expected to begin her first set of trials in the autumn while those for Dragon, the fourth Type 45, are scheduled to begin in 2010. The fifth Type 45, Defender, is due to be launched on the Clyde later this year.

Photo: Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless enters dockyard



Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence