New horizons for stealth ship HMS Daring 11.01.12
12Britain's most advanced warship HMS Daring has set sail for the Gulf today. The Type 45 destroyer is beginning a seven-month deployment to reinforce the Royal Navy's long-term presence East of Suez, replacing a frigate currently on station. She will provide a range of capabilities from counter piracy to reassurance of the UK's allies in the region. The area of operations is huge, covering the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Gulf. Her Commanding Officer Captain Guy Robinson says he's looking forward to the challenges the deployment has to offer. He said: "We are now very much looking forward to the deployment where we can contribute to maritime security in the region as well as demonstrating Daring's broad capabilities to our allies. This first operational deployment for Type 45 will present many challenges for my team but we are confident that our recent training has fully prepared us." The Type 45 destroyer employs a "stealth" design to help avoid detection. HMS Daring completed four years of sea trials and training late last year and is the first of six new destroyers which will replace the Type 42 vessels which started service in the 1970s. It is armed with high-tech Sea Viper anti-air missiles and will be able to carry 60 troops. There is also a large flight deck which can accommodate helicopters the size of a Chinook as well as take on board 700 people in the case of a civilian evacuation.