HMS Daring (D32)

HMS Daring in 2012
Career (United Kingdom)
Name:	HMS Daring
Ordered:	December 2000
Builder:	BAE Systems Naval Ships
Yard number:	1061[1]
Laid down:	28 March 2003
Launched:	1 February 2006
Sponsored by:	The Countess of Wessex
Commissioned:	23 July 2009[2]
Homeport:	HMNB Portsmouth
Identification:	Deck code: DA Pennant number: D32 International callsign: GPLA[3] IMO number: 4907749[4]
Motto:	Splendide audax ("Finely Daring")
Status:	In active service, as of 2015
Badge:	On a Field Black, an arm and a hand in a cresset of fire all Proper
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement:	8,000 t (7,900 long tons; 8,800 short tons)[5]
Length:	152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam:	21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught:	7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:	2 shafts Integrated electric propulsion (IEP); 2× Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each 2× Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators, 2 MW (2,700 shp) each[6] 2× Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed:	In excess of 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph)[7]
Range:	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement:	190
Sensors and processing systems:	SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045) S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046) 2× Raytheon I-band Radar (Type 1047) 1× Raytheon E/F-band Radar (Type 1048)[8] Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)[9] Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	UAT16 Surface ship torpedo defence (SSTD) Airbone Sys IDS300 decoy
Armament:	Anti-air missiles: Sea Viper air defence system. 1 × 48-cell Sylver A50 VLS, for a combination of 48: Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7-30 km) Aster 30 missiles (range 3-120 km) Anti-ship missiles: 2 × quad Harpoon launchers[N 1] Guns: 1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun 2 × Oerlikon 30 mm guns 2 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × Miniguns 6 × General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:	1-2× Lynx HMA8, armed with; 4× Sea Skua anti ship missiles, or 2× anti submarine torpedoes or 1× Westland Merlin HM1,[11] armed with; 4× anti submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities:	Large flight deck Enclosed hangar

HMS Daring is the lead ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy, and the seventh ship to hold that name. She was launched in 2006 on the Clyde and conducted contractor's sea trials during 2007 and 2008. She was handed over to the Royal Navy in December 2008, entered her base port of Portsmouth for the first time in January 2009 and was formally commissioned on 23 July 2009. As the lead ship of the first destroyer class built for the Royal Navy since the Type 42 in the 1970s, she has attracted significant media and public attention. Her name, crest and motto are a reference to the Roman youth Gaius Mucius Scaevola, famed for his bravery.^[12]

Operational history

Daring‍ '​s construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships yard (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in March 2003.^[13] The ship was launched at 14.21 GMT on 1 February 2006. HRH The Countess of Wessex was the ship's sponsor at her launch.^[14] On 16 November 2006, the Countess of Wessex brought Daring to life on her first official visit. On 17 November 2006, Her Royal Highness switched on the ship's diesel generators, part of the 'powering up' ceremony.^[15]

On 18 July 2007 Daring sailed on the first set of sea trials (Stage 1.1),^[16] successfully completing them 4 weeks later on 14 August 2007.^[17] As she is the first in the class some structural areas needed to be tested, including the loads that the main 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun puts on the ship.^[18] During these trials, Daring reached her design speed of 29 knots (54 km/h) in 70 seconds and achieved a speed of 31.5 knots (58 km/h) in 120 seconds.^[7] She sailed for Stage 1.2 on 30 March 2008 and returned on 2 May. Stage 1.2 included trials on the Long Range Radar and navigation system, medium calibre gun blast trials, weapon alignment tests and endurance tests.^[19] Stage 1.3 trials were conducted between 26 August^[20] and 22 September 2008^[21] and emphasis was placed on testing the full range of communications equipment. The ship's company used the opportunity to conduct familiarisation and training activities in preparation for the transfer of the vessel to the Royal Navy in December 2008.^[22] Stage 2 trials took place in 2009, once the ship had been handed over to the Royal Navy.^[23][24]

HMS Daring arrived in her home port of Portsmouth on 28 January 2009^[25] to large crowds along the seafront.^[26] She was given the honour of a flypast to coincide with her passing of the Round Tower, just outside Portsmouth.^[27] Daring was formally commissioned on 23 July 2009 with The Countess of Wessex inspecting an honour guard on the quayside, and reception. The commissioning cake was cut by the wife of the commanding officer and Able Seaman Daniel Small, who was the youngest member of the ship’s company.^[2]

Daring was declared officially "in service" on 31 July 2010,^[28] and shortly afterwards on 7 September 2010 was involved in a collision with a tug whilst entering Marchwood Military Port in Southampton Water. The cause of the collision and the extent of the damage are yet to be determined.^[29]

Recent service

HMS Daring fired her first Sea Viper missile in May 2011 during a test launch in the Outer Hebrides, after years of trials.^[30] During the same year she equipped with two Phalanx CIWS mounted on either side of the superstructure.^[31]

On 6 January 2012, the Royal Navy announced that Daring would leave Portsmouth on 11 January 2012 to undertake her first mission, a deployment to the Persian Gulf. Daring travelled through the Suez Canal on 2 February 2012, then continued on to the Persian Gulf, relieving the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll that was on station there.^[32][33] In February 2012, as part of the Persian Gulf deployment, Daring joined Operation Scimitar Anzac, an anti-piracy operation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This international operation included the Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA Wave Knight, the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta, and the Pakistan Navy's PNS Babur. Daring acted as the command ship for all the vessels.^[34] During operation in the Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea, Daring operated with the U.S. Navy's Carrier Strike Group One and Carrier Strike Group Nine.^[35]

2013 Pacific Deployment

She has set out westwards to join the Royal Australian Navy's International Fleet Review 2013 in Sydney, Australia during October 2013; and to join the 2013 Five Power Defence Arrangements Exercise Bersama Lima.^[36] So far, she has stopped by San Juan in Puerto Rico,^[37] sailed through the Panama Canal and docked at the US Naval Base in San Diego.^{[38][39][40][41]} Recently, she made a port visit to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.^[42] She also participated in an Independent Deployer Certification Exercise off the coast of Hawaii.^[43] It has been said that it is engaged in ballistic defence trials with the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) in as part of a major research and development programme.^[44] Daring also visited the USAKA at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands.^[45][46] She then visited Port Phillip Bay ahead of entering Sydney Harbour for the IFR.^[47][48] The Band of HM Royal Marines has also flown out to participate in the IFR and 13 musicians will stay with Daring, accompanying the destroyer for the remaining final five months of her world tour.^[49] Daring also visited Adelaide, Fremantle and Perth after her visit to Sydney.^[50][51]

On 11 November 2013 Daring broke away from Exercise Bersama Lima and was dispatched to the Philippines as part of the British government's humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan.^[52] She handed over the task to HMS Illustrious on around 26 November 2013, and sailed for Japan.^[53] Daring then proceeded to Busan, South Korea, Shanghai, China and Da Nang, Vietnam.^[54] Her visit to Shanghai was the first visit of a Type 45 destroyer.^[55][56][57] Daring also completed her port visit to Da Nang and will visit Thailand and Malaysia.^[58]

Characteristics

Advanced air-defence

The Type 45 destroyers are primarily designed for anti-air warfare with the capability to defend against sophisticated targets such as fighter aircraft, drones as well as highly maneuverable sea skimming anti-ship missiles travelling at supersonic speeds.^[59] The Royal Navy describes the destroyers' mission as being "to shield the Fleet from air attack".^[60] The Type 45 destroyer is equipped with the sophisticated Sea Viper (PAAMS) air-defence system utilizing the SAMPSON active electronically scanned array multi-function radar and the S1850M long-range radar. The PAAMS system is able to track over 2,000 targets and simultaneously control and coordinate multiple missiles in the air at once, allowing a large number of tracks to be intercepted and destroyed at any given time. This makes the PAAMS system particularly difficult to swamp during a saturation attack, even against supersonic targets.^[61] The USNWC has suggested that the SAMPSON radar is capable of tracking 1,000 objects the size of a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound (Mach 3), emphasising the system's capabilities against high performance stealth targets.^[59] A core component of the PAAMS air-defence system is the Aster missile, composing of the Aster 15 and Aster 30. MBDA describe Aster as a "hit-to-kill" anti-missile missile capable of intercepting all types of high performance air threats at a maximum range of 120 km.^[62] The Aster missile is autonomously guided and equipped with an active RF seeker enabling it to cope with "saturated attacks" thanks to a "multiple engagement capability" and a "high rate of fire".^[62] Presently the Daring-class destroyers are equipped with a 48-cell A50 Sylver Vertical Launching System allowing for a mix of up-to 48 Aster 15 and 30 missiles.

Weapons, countermeasures, capabilities and sensors

Daring will be one of the Type 45 Destroyers to receive the Harpoon anti-ship missile system.^[63]

Commanding Officers

• 2008-2009: Captain Paul Bennett RN
• 2009-2011: Captain Patrick McAlpine RN
• 2011-2012: Captain Guy Robinson RN
• 2012–2014: Commander Angus Essenhigh RN
• 2014-Present: Commander Philip Dennis RN

Affiliations

Ship's sponsor

• HRH The Countess of Wessex^[64]

Official affiliations

• City of Birmingham^[64]
• Warwickshire District Sea Cadets^[64]
• Guernsey^[64]
• The Royal Dragoon Guards^[64]
• No. 11 Squadron RAF^[64]
• HMS Forward (Birmingham Royal Naval Reserve)^[64]
• The Daring Association^[64]
• King Edward's School, Birmingham^[64]
• 4th Knowle Sea Scout Group^[64]
• Worshipful Company of Carpenters (A City of London Livery Company)^[64][65]
• Birmingham University Royal Naval Unit^[64]
• The D-Boats Association^[64]
• Midland Naval Officers Association^[64]
• Daring Class Yachts^[64][66]

Other

While not officially affiliated with the football club Aston Villa F.C., the ship has close ties with the team. The chairman of the Birmingham based club, Randy Lerner, donated a painting to the ship that depicts a maritime battle played within Villa Park, the home stadium of the club. Members of the ship's company provided a guard of honour before a game against Middlesbrough F.C. on the Remembrance Sunday weekend.^[67]

Footnotes

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Daring (D32).

• Royal Navy HMS Daring (royalnavy.mod.uk)
• Daring association website (axfordsabode.org.uk)

Type 45 destroyers Daring Dauntless Diamond Dragon Defender Duncan Preceded by: Type 42 destroyers Followed by: None List of destroyers of the Royal Navy

Commissioned ships of the Royal Navy    Submarines Vanguard class Vanguard Victorious Vigilant Vengeance Trafalgar class Torbay Trenchant Talent Triumph Astute class Astute Ambush Destroyers Type 45 Daring Dauntless Diamond Dragon Defender Duncan Frigates Type 23 Argyll Lancaster Iron Duke Monmouth Montrose Westminster Northumberland Richmond Somerset Sutherland Kent Portland St Albans Amphibious warfare ships Albion-class LPD Albion Bulwark Ocean-class LPH Ocean Mine counter measures vessels Sandown class Penzance Pembroke Grimsby Bangor Ramsey Blyth Shoreham Hunt class Ledbury Cattistock Brocklesby Middleton Chiddingfold Atherstone Hurworth Quorn Patrol vessels Ice patrol vessel Endurance Protector River class Mersey Severn Tyne Clyde Archer class Archer Biter Smiter Blazer Puncher Charger Ranger Trumpeter Express Example Explorer Exploit Tracker Raider Pursuer Dasher Scimitar class Scimitar Sabre Survey vessels Ocean survey vessel Scott Echo class Echo Enterprise Survey launch Gleaner Miscellaneous vessels Type 82 Bristol (static training vessel) Ship of the line Victory (flagship of the First Sea Lord)