● HMS Diamond heads down the Clyde to begin her second spell of trials NAVY NEWS, JULY 2010
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there’ll soon be three. The third of Britain’s next-generation £1bn warships has successfully completed her second set of trials and is now gearing up for moving into her future home. Diamond’s due to swap the Clyde for Portsmouth in mid-September, when the Blue Ensign will be lowered and the White Ensign hoisted in its place as the destroyer is formally handed over to the Royal Navy...
already-complete sisters will be off on her first mini-deployment (that’s Daring)... and the other will be firing Sea Viper – the class’ main armament – for the first time (that’s Dauntless). More about those later, for now we’ll let Diamond sparkle (groan – Ed). Type 45 No.3’s second set of sea trials saw the normal ship’s complement of 190 rise to 265...
... by which time one of her two
IF YOU’RE struggling to comprehend the sight of two imposing Type 45 destroyers alongside in Portsmouth Naval Base, well here’s news for you:
3 x 45 = the future
... which in most destroyers or frigates would be a bit of a squeeze, but not with the extra accommodation on the D-class (there’s space for some 60 troops in fairly rudimentary messes aboard).
49 were Royal Navy. The rest were merchant sailors, engineers, contractors and experts from BAE Systems, who built Diamond. Typically on sea trials, RN personnel
provide the bridge watchkeepers, sea boat coxswains and the fire/damage control party.
But with various extra tests being included in these 21 days of trials off the Scottish west coast, more matelots filed on board to help with evaluating kit as varied as comms, radars, sensors, the propulsion management system, flight deck fire-fighting kit, and the pre- wetting system (sprinklers which wash down the upper decks).
Of those 265 men and women, just
With Diamond’s sea-handling and manoeuvring already proven on the first period of trials, the emphasis this time was on her combat and information systems.
aboard, the ship’s company were able to pick their brains about kit, share ideas and generally gain a greater understanding of the leap forward the equipment which the Type 45 is over the existing destroyer and frigate fleet. Low-flying aircraft and surface targets
With many of the leading contractors
Lady Johns, who spent the first day of the trials period (an unusually fine spring day in western Scotland we’re told...) to see progress made since her previous visit and meet newer members of the ship’s company. Three weeks later, her ship was back alongside at BAE’s yard in Scotstoun where Diamond will spend the summer preparing for the transfer to the South Coast.
were used in tests to demonstrate the accuracy of Diamond’s radar and sensors while the destroyer’s communication systems were also pushed to the limit and were tested in all configurations under demanding conditions. Aside
and Type 45 experts, the trials were witnessed by the senior military figure in the land, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, who spent an afternoon seeing what “Type 45 is all about” (shooting down aircraft, principally) and chatting to the sailors...
from the industry boffins
from my colleagues in Daring and Dauntless – but having experienced sea trials in Diamond I now fully appreciate the power and potential of these great ships,” said Diamond’s Cdr Paddy Munns, senior naval officer at the time of the trials (he’s now her marine engineer officer with the arrival of Cdr Ian Clarke as the destroyer’s Commanding Officer)..
“The sea trials have been a great success. We now can’t wait to move on board and take her to the next stage!” ... which older sister HMS Dauntless
... as did the ship’s sponsor,
has already passed through. On a glorious summer’s day by the Solent, the second ship of the class was formally welcomed into the arms of the Royal Navy – ‘christened’ if you like – at her commissioning ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base (pictured below).
Hundreds of families, friends and guests,
“I was aware of the Type 45’s abilities
among them First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, Commander-in- Chief Fleet Admiral Sir Trevor Soar and Dauntless’ sponsor Lady Burnell- Nugent heard Capt Richard Powell read out the formal commissioning warrant, while the Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood provided suitably martial maritime music. The ceremony closed with the traditional cutting of the commissioning cake by Capt Powell’s wife Carolyn and the youngest person in her husband’s charge, 17-year-old ET Robert Clough from North Wales.
The teenager was only two months out of training; given his age, Dauntless is not surprisingly his first ship. Not a bad place to begin your career... “To be serving on a Type 45 destroyer so soon after training is like a dream come true – it is an amazing ship and it’s such a good ship’s company – everyone gets on really well,” the young sailor effused.
His Commanding Officer was equally fulsome in his praise. “This is a great day for the Royal Navy and particularly for the crew who are all delighted to serve in this fantastic ship,” said Capt Powell. “Sailing past the Round Tower and into the Naval Base aboard Dauntless was one of the proudest moments of my career and I am sure that the ship will continue to bring pride to the Royal Navy throughout her lifetime.” And what of the the lead ship of the class? Turn the page to find out...
YPE 45 ZONE... the type 45 zone... the type 45
Picture: LA(Phot) Arron Hoare, FRPU East
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