Exploring Portsmouth Naval Base: Daring Class Type 45 Destroyers

From above, Portsmouth Naval Base reveals the sharp lines of the Royal Navy’s most advanced destroyers. Three Type 45 destroyers, known as the Daring class, lie alongside, their distinctive angular profiles and tall masts dominating the quay.

Geographically, Portsmouth has been the heart of the Royal Navy for centuries, and today it remains the home port of the Type 45 fleet.

With direct access to the Solent and the English Channel, the base allows these air-defense warships to sail quickly into the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, or beyond.

Historically, the Type 45 program was developed to replace the aging Type 42 destroyers and provide the fleet with a cutting-edge shield against modern air and missile threats.

The first ship, HMS Daring, entered service in 2009, followed by Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender, and Duncan. All six are based here at Portsmouth.

Technically, the Type 45s displace around 8,500 tons, measure 152 meters in length, and are powered by a combined gas and electric system driving them to speeds above 27 knots.

Their defining feature is the Sea Viper missile system, launched from vertical silos forward and guided by the SAMPSON multi-function radar housed in the iconic spherical dome atop the foremast.

Secondary weapons include the 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun, torpedo tubes, and the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System.

Phalanx is easily recognized by its white, dome-topped mount — sailors call it “R2-D2” for its resemblance to the Star Wars droid.

The system automatically detects and destroys incoming missiles with a 20 mm Gatling gun firing up to 4,500 rounds per minute.

Filmed here in Portsmouth, the Type 45 destroyers represent the cutting edge of British naval technology — guardians of the fleet, designed to fight in the skies above the sea.

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