HMS Daring (D32)

HMS Daring in 2012
History
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:	HRH 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[5] to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)[6][7][8]
Length:	152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam:	21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught:	7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power:	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[9]
Propulsion:	2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with 2 × Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed:	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)[10]
Range:	In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)[10]
Complement:	191[11] (accommodation for up to 235)
Sensors and processing systems:	SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045) S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046) Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System 2 × Raytheon AHRS INS (MINS 2) 2 × Raytheon I-band Radar (Type 1047) 1 × Raytheon E/F-band Radar (Type 1048)[12] Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)[13] Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)[14] AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system [15] Seagnat Naval Decoy IDS300 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament:	Anti-air missiles: Sea Viper air defence system, with a 48-cell Sylver A50 VLS, for mix of up to 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 Wildcat, armed with: 4 × anti ship missiles, or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes or 1 × Westland Merlin,[17] 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.^[18]

Construction

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.^[19] 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.^[20] On 16 November 2006, the Countess of Wessex brought Daring to life on her first official visit. On 17 November 2006, the countess switched on the ship's diesel generators, part of the 'powering up' ceremony.^[21]

Sea trials

On 18 July 2007 Daring sailed on the first set of sea trials (Stage 1.1),^[22] successfully completing them 4 weeks later on 14 August 2007.^[23] 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.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[26] Stage 1.3 trials were conducted between 26 August^[27] and 22 September 2008^[28] 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.^[29] Stage 2 trials took place in 2009, once the ship had been handed over to the Royal Navy.^[30][31] HMS Daring arrived in her home port of Portsmouth on 28 January 2009^[32] to large crowds along the seafront.^[33] She was given the honour of a flypast to coincide with her passing of the Round Tower, just outside Portsmouth.^[34]

Operational service

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" one year later, on 31 July 2010.^[35]

Daring fired her first Sea Viper missile in May 2011 during a test launch in the Outer Hebrides, after years of trials.^[36] During the same year she was equipped with two Phalanx CIWS mounted on either side of the superstructure.^[37]

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.^[38][39] 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.^[40] 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.^[41]

In September 2013, Daring transited the Panama Canal on deployment to the Pacific Ocean. She made port visits to the US Naval Base San Diego,^[42] Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,^[43] and the Marshall Islands.^[44] While in the Pacific, Daring took part in the Royal Australian Navy's International Fleet Review 2013 at Sydney, Australia and also participated in the 2013 Five Power Defence Arrangements exercise, Bersama Lima.^[45] During Bersama Lima, Daring was urgently dispatched to the Philippines as part of the British government's humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan.^[46] Before her return to the United Kingdom, Daring made port visits in Japan,^[47] South Korea, China, Vietnam,^[48] Thailand and Malaysia.^[49]

In September 2016 Daring was transferred to the Persian Gulf to assist in Operation Inherent Resolve.^[50]

Characteristics

Commanding Officers

• 2008-2009: Captain Paul Bennett RN
• 2009-2011: Captain Paul 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^[51]

Official affiliations

• City of Birmingham^[51]
• Warwickshire District Sea Cadets^[51]
• Guernsey^[51]
• The Royal Dragoon Guards^[51]
• No. 11 Squadron RAF^[51]
• HMS Forward (Birmingham Royal Naval Reserve)^[51]
• The Daring Association^[51]
• King Edward's School, Birmingham^[51]
• 4th Knowle Sea Scout Group^[51]
• Worshipful Company of Carpenters (A City of London Livery Company)^[51][52]
• Birmingham University Royal Naval Unit^[51]
• The D-Boats Association^[51]
• Midland Naval Officers Association^[51]
• Daring Class Yachts^[51][53]

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.^[54]

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)

Commissioned ships of the Royal Navy
Submarines	Vanguard class Vanguard Victorious Vigilant Vengeance Trafalgar class Torbay Trenchant Talent Triumph Astute class Astute Ambush Artful
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 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)