MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
News Release (056/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 13
March 2009
DEFENCE Minister
Quentin Davies has today commented on the National Audit Office
(NAO) report "Providing Anti Air Warfare Capability: the Type
45 destroyer."
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies said:
"The NAO rightly acknowledges the progress made with the
Type 45 destroyer programme. Key milestones, such as completion of
sea trials have been met ahead of schedule. These are complex,
sophisticated warships and where problems arose in the early
stages MOD gripped the issue, renegotiated contracts where
required and got the programme on track - the first of these
impressive destroyers, HMS Daring, sailed into Portsmouth, her
future base port in January this year.
I have been following this programme closely since my
appointment, and I am pleased to be able to say that progress with
both building and sea trials is currently going very well. Four
ships are in the water (Daring, Dauntless, Diamond and Dragon)
while the other two vessels (Defender and Duncan) are well under
construction and the powerful SeaViper missile system has
undergone two successful test firings. These ships will form one
of the essential pillars of the Royal Navy in the 21st Century."
The first in Class, Daring, is due to enter service in late 2010
and the remaining vessels will enter service progressively through
to the middle of the next decade.
Notes to Editors
1. Designed primarily to provide air defence protecting forces
against enemy aircraft and missiles, the Type 45s are extremely
versatile and able to undertake a broad range of missions from
combat to humanitarian assistance. They will be able to carry a
significant number of extra personnel, such as troops or evacuated
personnel, on board. Top quality accommodation has been fitted so
the crew can live and work in comfort and they also have there own
hospital facilities, complete with operating table.
2. The six ships:
a. HMS Daring was launched in February 2006 and completed her
contractor sea trials in September 2008. She was handed over to
the MoD from the shipbuilder BVT on 10 December 2008 and set sail
from the Govan dockyard on the Clyde on January 16 2009 for the
journey down to Portsmouth arriving at her base in Portsmouth 28
January 2009.
b. Dauntless was launched in January 2007 and completed her first
set of sea trials on 12 December 2008.
c. Diamond was launched in November 2007 and her first set of sea
trials are scheduled to begin in summer 2009.
d. Dragon - was launched in November 2008 and her first set of
sea trials are scheduled to begin in 2010.
e. Defender and Duncan - both vessels are still being built and
are due to be launched in late 2009 and late 2010 respectively.
3. Sea Viper, formerly known as PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile
System) is a Maritime area air defence system composed of the
Sampson radar, which is immensely powerful and sophisticated. The
system is designed to deal with multiple simultaneous attacks by
the most advanced anti-ship missiles in existence or envisaged.
4. For further information, please call MoD Press Office 020 7218
7714 or 020 7218 2165.