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HMS Daring

HMS Daring is the first of the Type 45 class of destroyers.

On 2nd July 2007 Admiral Sir Jonathan Band KCB ADC, First Sea Lord and chief of Naval Staff, recalling the enthusiasm of the people of Guernsey to continue their long established links with the Royal Navy, offered to the Island of Guernsey an affiliation with HMS Daring.  He considered the ship to be an extremely appropriate one to link with the people of Guernsey.  He pointed out that in line with current Royal Navy policy Daring, if Guernsey accepted the affiliation, would enjoy an equal affiliation with the City of Birmingham.

The Bailiff of Guernsey on 19th July 2009 was able to confirm that the people of Guernsey would be delighted to accept the generous offer of an affiliation with Daring.

Daring had been launched in February 2006 and completed her contractor sea trials in September 2008.  She was handed over to the Ministry of Defence from the ship builder BVT on 10th December 2008 and set sail from Govan dockyard on the Clyde on 16th January 2009.

Daring paid its first visit to Guernsey waters on 28th January 2009 on a fine sunny morning before departing for its first entry or berthing in its home port of Portsmouth.  It was the first time in 30 years that a new class of destroyer had entered Portsmouth.

Daring is one of the most advanced ships ever built and along with the five other Type 45s will be one of the essential pillars of the Royal Navy in the 21st century.

The type 45 class destroyers are the largest and most powerful air defence destroyers ever operated by the Royal Navy and the largest general purpose surface warships (excluding aircraft carriers and amphibious ships) to join the fleet since World War Two cruisers.  The deep load displacement of the Type 45, at around 7,200 tonnes exceeds that of any other general purpose surface combatant, again excluding aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, built for the Royal Navy since the 1941 Tiger class cruisers.

Designed primarily to provide air defence protecting forces against enemy aircraft and missiles, Daring is extremely versatile and able to undertake a broad range of missions form combat to humanitarian assistance.

She can operate a number of helicopters, including the Chinook, providing greater operational flexibility than other ships of her size.  She will also be able to carry a significant number of extra personnel, such as troops or evacuated personnel.

Daring's Sea Viper air defence missile is the size of a public telephone box, weighs almost as much as a small car, and from launch accelerates to a speed twice that of Concorde in under 10 seconds.

Her 152 metre length is equivalent to more than 16 double-decker buses laid end-to-end and she is as high as an electricity pylon. Daring's onboard power plant can supply enough electricity to light a town of 80,000 people and her fuel tanks have a volume equivalent to approximately half that of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.