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Daring shines on sea trials
Monday, 10 September, 2007
The UK Royal Navy’s (RN) first Type 45 destroyer, Daring, has won wide praise after performing beyond all expectations during a 28-day period of Stage 1.1 sea trials completed last month.
Displacing 7,350 tonnes, Daring is the first of six Type 45 destroyers on order from BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions. Equipped with the PAAMS(S) anti-air warfare missile system, the class is being procured to replace the RN’s ageing Type 42 destroyers.
Daring began sea trials on 18 July and was put through her paces by BAE Systems engineers and the RN personnel who will form her permanent crew once she enters service. Initial trials focused on testing the main platform systems, and power and propulsion machinery. Other aspects trialled included controls, some weapons engineering systems, navigation, radars and gyros, as well as the habitability of the ship including the galley, cabins, sewage treatment plant, ventilation and lighting. Most of the trials were conducted in the waters off the west coast of Scotland. However, the ship also sailed north to undertake two days on the Benbecula range, trialling its Mk 8 Mod 1 4.5in gun and two DS30B 30mm small calibre guns.
Daring is the first warship in the world with an all-electric power and propulsion architecture, using two Rolls-Royce WR21 gas turbines and two Wärtsilä 12V200 diesels to generate power for propulsion, ship’s services and weapon systems. The ship sailed approximately 4,100 miles during the trials period, using an average 35 cubic metres of fuel per day and refuelling just once. That is about a quarter of what a Type 42 would have used. During trials, Daring attained a maximum speed of 31.5 knots (against a contract requirement of 28 knots). That was achieved from a standing start in little over two minutes.
Vic Emery, managing director of BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions, told the DSEi Show Daily: “Daring is the best first of class ship I have ever been on in my 44 years in shipbuilding. Not only have the trials progressed very well, but the ship has shown herself to be incredibly smooth even when operating at high speeds.”
Having returned from sea trials on 14 August, Daring is now alongside at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard to continue with systems integration and testing activities prior to commencing Stage 1.2 trials in late March 2008. This second phase of testing will cover initial combat system trials and final machinery acceptance. Stage 1.3 trials, to run in mid-2008, are planned to complete combat system testing prior to customer acceptance in October next year. Stage 2 trials, to be led by the Ministry of Defence and the RN, will commence in early 2009, with Daring due to enter service in December that year.
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