HMS Dauntless has completed sea trials as the first ship to undergo a major upgrade to resolve the propulsion problems that have plagued the Type 45 destroyers. As part of our series covering these issues, here we report on progress and some of the technical aspects of the work.
Today the MoD has announced the Tye 45 destroyers will be upgraded to intercept ballistic missiles. The destroyers will be the first European warships with a full sensor-shooter BMD intercept capability.More
The Type 45 Destroyer is the Royal Navy’s primary Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) vessel. Other than the propulsion issues discussed in depth elsewhere, this article documents what has already been done to upgrade the class and the potential improvements to be applied later in their service lives.
With the return of HMS Dragon to Portsmouth last week, at the time of writing, all six of the Type 45 destroyers are alongside or in dock. Depending on who you listen to, this is either an embarrassing disaster or entirely routine and no cause for concern. Here we look at the current situation and the complicated back story.
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It has emerged that one of the two Type 45 destroyers accompanying the Carrier Strike Group, HMS Diamond has suffered a defect and remains alongside in a Mediterranean port, having not transited the Suez Canal with the rest of the ships.
MBDA announced today that the Type 45 destroyers will be enhanced with 24 Sea Ceptor missile cells. Here we consider the implications of this significant upgrade to the Royal Navy’s primary air defence platform.More
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed today that their airforce had dropped bombs near to HMS Defender as she passed through the Black Sea. These claims were repeated by various UK media outlets until finally denied by the Ministry of Defence. Here we summarise what took place and the background to events.More
Figures showing the precise number of days spent at sea by the RN’s escort force in the past 6 years were published recently. Here we briefly analyse what this says about the health of the fleet and the factors behind the data.
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The Defence Command Paper announced the intention to begin the concept and assessment phase for the Type 45 destroyer replacements. These vessels will be delivered in the late 2030s and named the Type 83. In this speculative article, we consider the context and some of the design options for these vessels.