HMS Daring (D32)

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.

Operational history
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. 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. On 16 November 2006, the Countess of Wessex brought Daring to life on her first official visit. On 17 November 2006, Her Royal Highness switched on the ship's diesel generators, part of the 'powering up' ceremony.

On 18 July 2007 Daring sailed on the first set of sea trials (Stage 1.1), successfully completing them 4 weeks later on 14 August 2007. 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. During these trials, Daring reached her design speed of 29 kn in 70 seconds and achieved a speed of 31.5 kn in 120 seconds. 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. Stage 1.3 trials were conducted between 26 August and 22 September 2008 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. Stage 2 trials took place in 2009, once the ship had been handed over to the Royal Navy. HMS Daring arrived in her home port of Portsmouth on 28 January 2009 to large crowds along the seafront. She was given the honour of a flypast to coincide with her passing of the Round Tower, just outside Portsmouth. 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.

Daring was declared officially "in service" on 31 July 2010, and shortly afterwards on 7 September 2010 was involved in a collision with a tug whilst entering Marchwood Military Port in Southampton Water. The cause of the collision and the extent of the damage are yet to be determined.

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

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, replacing the Type 23 frigate that was on station there. 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. 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.

2013 Pacific Deployment
She has set out westwards to join the Royal Australian Navy's International Fleet Review 2013 in Sydney, Australia during October 2013; and to join the 2013 Five Power Defence Arrangements Exercise Bersama Lima. So far, she has stopped by San Juan in Puerto Rico, sailed through the Panama Canal and docked at the US Naval Base in San Diego. Recently, she made a port visit to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. She recently participated in an Independent Deployer Certification Exercise off the coast of Hawaii. It has been said that it is engaged in ballistic defence trials with the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) in as part of a major research and development programme. Daring also visited the USAKA at Kwajalein in the Marshall islands. She recently visited Port Phillip Bay ahead of entering Sydney Harbour for the IFR. The Band of HM Royal Marines has also flown out to participate in the IFR and 13 musicians will stay with Daring, accompanying the destroyer for the final five months of her world tour. Daring will visit Adelaide, Fremantle and Perth after her visit to Sydney.

Daring visited Singapore in November 2013, and during the course of this vist a team from the Ship's company was entered into the Singapore Cricket Club's annual Rugby Sevens Tournament. No Cup, but a good performance and a great welcome from the crowd.

Daring is also due to visit Japan in November 2013 after the IFR and make a port call in Thailand sometime in 2014. She will also visit Vietnam towards the end of 2013.

On the 11th November 2013 Daring was dispatched from its scheduled deployment visiting Singapore to the Philippines as part of the British government's humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan.

Advanced air-defence
The Type 45 destroyers are primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare with the capability to defend against aircraft, drones as well as supersonic sea skimming anti-ship missiles. The Royal Navy describe the destroyers' mission as "to shield the Fleet from air attack". The Type 45 destroyer uses the sophisticated Sea Viper air-defence system utilizing the SAMPSON active electronically scanned array multi-function air tracking radar, and the S1850M long-range air surveillance radar. The Sea Viper system is able to control and coordinate several missiles in the air at once, allowing several tracks to be intercepted. It has been suggested that the SAMPSON radar is capable of tracking an object the size of a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound. A core component of the Type 45's Sea Viper air-defence system is the Aster missile, composing of the Aster 15 and Aster 30. MBDA describe Aster as an anti-missile missile capable of intercepting all types of high performance air threats at a max range of 120 km (Aster 30). The Aster missile is autonomously guided and equipped with an active RF seeker enabling it to cope with "saturated attacks" thanks to a "Multiple engagement capability" and a "high rate of fire". Presently the Daring-class destroyers are equipped with a 48-cell A50 Sylver Vertical Launching System allowing for a mix of up-to 48 Aster 15 and 30 missiles. However, the Type 45 destroyer was designed to accommodate a total of 64-cells, while some reports suggest a total of 72-cells.

Commanding Officers

 * 2008-2009: Captain Paul Bennett RN
 * 2009-2011: Captain Patrick McAlpine RN
 * 2011-2012: Captain Guy Robinson RN
 * 2012–Present: Commander Angus Essenhigh RN

Ship's sponsor

 * HRH The Countess of Wessex

Official affiliations

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

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.