Type 45 Daring destroyer
Daring-class Type 45 - Design
At around 7,350 tonnes in weight and over 150 meters long, the Type 45s will be the biggest and most powerful air defence destroyers ever built for the Royal Navy and the largest general purpose surface warships. Equipped with the world-leading Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), providing the fleet with an air defence capability several orders of magnitude greater than provided by the existing Type 42 destroyers. They will be equipped with the world-beating Sampson Active Phased array radar, making them a world class maritime area air defence capability.
The hull structure is made of 2800 tonnes of steel which is more that the weight of the Blackpool Tower. Approximately 40 tonnes of paint will have to applied to cover an area of 100,000 square meters of steel. Each PAAMS air defence missile weighs almost as much as a small car and from launch accelerate to a speed twice that of Concorde in under 10 seconds. The missile's flight manoeuvres as it locks onto a target are so violent they are 10 times more severe than a human could withstand.
Her 152m length is equivalent to more than 16 double- decker buses and she is as high as an electricity pylon. Her onboard power plant can supply enough electricity to light a town of 80,000 people. Her fuel tanks have a volume equivalent to approximately half the volume of an Olympic swimming pool. The ship's crew will enjoy much better onboard conditions than their predecessors - including IT access, 5-Channel recreational audio, and larger berths. She contains 110 bunk beds, 26 sofa beds, 22 single beds and has her own hospital facilities complete with operating table. She is fitted with 1 bath, 44 showers, 54 toilets and 100 wash basins. She has 404 phones (mainly internal) and is fitted with enough electrical cable to circle the M25 three times.
PAAMS has been designed to match and defeat the evolving threat of attacks from sophisticated anti-ship missiles and to deal with attacks by aircraft. It can control a substantial number of missiles in the air at once, thus making it difficult for attackers to swamp the Royal Navy's air defences. PAAMS equipment carried by each ship will include a 48-cell Sylver Vertical Launching System (VLS) for Aster missiles. Also central to the PAAMS system are the highly capable SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar (MFR) for surveillance and fire control, the S1850 Long-Range Radar (LRR) for air/surface search, and the Command and Control system.
The SAMPSON family of radars combines surveillance and dedicated tracking roles into a single system. Sited high on the ship, it can detect and track attacking aircraft and missiles while providing guidance for the ship's own missiles. It supports point and area defence against current and future forecast air threats in an environment of heavy jamming and land and sea clutter. Functionality includes long- and medium-range search, surface picture and high-speed horizon search. It also performs high-angle search and track, multiple target tracking and multiple channel fire control. The S1850M Long-Range Radar provides three-dimensional long-range air surveillance and surface surveillance for PAAMS and other ship systems.
The mixture of shorter-range Aster 15 and longer-range Aster 30 missiles selected for the Type 45 are faster and more agile than the previous generation. Exceptional agility is achieved in the 'end-game' using a lateral thrust system - commonly known as PIF, PAF. The Combat Management System (CMS) enables the command team to manage and operate the combat system and achieve the ship's operational objectives. It will perform tactical picture compilation, threat evaluation, weapon assignment and control of the other combat system equipment, including PAAMS.
In addition to these priority needs, the Navy saw some other equipment as desirable and provision has been made in the ships' design for fitting this equipment to the Type 45 Destroyers in future, if the need arises. An Inner Layer Defence System is considered desirable to combat the threat from Fast Inshore Attack Craft. The First of Class will have no on-board torpedo launch capability but, as the Type 45 Destroyer will not be a dedicated Anti-Submarine Warfare platform, this is not regarded by the Navy as a critical shortfall. Provision has been made for extra helicopter launched torpedo storage. The Type 45 Destroyer's main gun armament meets some, but not all, of the Navy's requirements and is not seen as a long-term solution.
The new ship introduced standards across cabins, messes and recreational areas that are suitable for both male and female sailors, and improve considerably on current levels. With its improved accommodation and ability to perform a variety of roles, the Type 45 is designed to meet the needs of a modern Navy in a changing world, and adapt to new needs throughout the life of the class. 'Room for growth' was a key operational requirement. While the complement is around 190 crew, there is space for up to 235, allowing for the transport of specialist teams and their equipment to carry out a variety of missions - whether military, para-military or disaster relief. This also allows for the Type 45 Destroyers to fulfil other roles, such as assisting in humanitarian relief or civilian evacuation missions.
Arguably as significant a change for the Royal Navy as the move from sail to steam, the Type 45 will introduce the first Integrated Electric Propulsion system. Benefits include a reduction in projected through-life costs because of lower maintenance and fuel consumption costs. The propulsion system is simpler to maintain and with no gearbox, allows for greater flexibility in ship layout. There are also improved environmental factors.
