Article

2007-07-24 Britain

DefenseTech: Daring warship trials begin

I was pleased to see that that Norman Polmar is still around and writing. I first came across his name when researching the sinking of the USS Thresher SSN-593. I attended the Memorial Service in Portsmouth, NH, a year ago in memory of one of my family members killed in April of 1963.
Britains newest warship, the Type 45 guided missile destroyer Daring (pennant D-32), has left the BAE Systems shipyard on the Clyde to begin sea trials. The Daring is the first of a class of destroyers that, under current plans, could total 12 ships. The construction of the Daring-class ships is highly significant for the Royal Navy in view of the recent cutbacks in surface fleet strength and the reduction in the number of nuclear-propelled submarines being planned. The Darings are to replace the aging Sheffield-class destroyers (Type 42).

According to the website Military Periscope, the multi-purpose destroyers will have a theater ballistic missile-defense capability with the U.S.-developed Standard SM-2 (Block IVA) surface-to-air missiles. The ships will use the Principal Anti-Aircraft Missile System (PAAMS), currently in development by France and Italy. PAAMS will be a long-range air/missile defense weapon, capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets.

The Daring-class ships will also have the 4.5-inch Mark 8 Mod 1 gun for shore bombardment, a standard weapon in British surface ships, and will embark a multi-purpose large Merlin or smaller Lynx helicopter. The ships also have the Harpoon anti-ship missile and anti-submarine weapons. The ship will have advanced electronic systems, including radars, sonars, electronic countermeasures, and data links.

Five additional ships are now on order or under construction.

The Darings will have a full load displacement of 7,450 tons with an overall length of 499 feet, making them smaller than the improved U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which displace 9,200 tons on a length of 509 feet. Also, the British ships are rated at 29 knots, about two knots slower than their U.S. contemporaries.

Posted by Delphi 2007-07-24 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 I'd rather they didn't build them. If they do build them, they should be kept out of the Persian Gulf so the Iranians don't seize them and have access to all that technology and such a large crew.

Posted by Super Hose 2007-07-24 00:08|| 2007-07-24 00:08|| Front Page Top

#2 OOhh, you are soo right on, Super Hose! Maybe though, the Brits want to impress the Irish!

Posted by smn 2007-07-24 01:52|| 2007-07-24 01:52|| Front Page Top

#3 Sigh. Where to begin. First there are only 6 ($2 billion each) on order and there is talk of selling 2 of those to the Saudis. It does not fire the US Standard missiles but uses the French-Italian Aster missiles (48), unlike the 96 US Mk 41 launch cells that can hold Standard, Harpoon, Tomahawk, ASROC or 4 ESSM missiles each.

So no ABM capability or long range SAMs. No antiship (Harpoon) or land attack (Tomahawk). No torpedoes, rudimentary sonar so no real antisub capability. Best feature is the radar mounted very high. All for twice the price of an Aegis destroyer. Perfect for the Saudis. The British should do better.

Posted by ed 2007-07-24 12:08|| 2007-07-24 12:08|| Front Page Top

#4 OK, ed, so all the details are wrong. But consider the truthiness: the brits *are* building some boats or something.

Good catch on those pesky 'details', by the way!

Posted by SteveS 2007-07-24 12:59|| 2007-07-24 12:59|| Front Page Top

#5 But ed, don't forget the 4.5-inch Mark 8 Mod 1 gun for shore bombardment. Gunboat diplomacy is not dead (at least in some parallel reality)).

Posted by phil_b 2007-07-24 15:19|| 2007-07-24 15:19|| Front Page Top

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