Daring tracks Typhoon in second sea trials

[SO19]

Daring tracks Typhoon in second sea trials
An Equipment and Logistics news article

2 May 08

Daring, the first of the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyers, has successfully tracked a Typhoon aircraft from Manchester to the west coast of Scotland as part of the second stage of her sea trials.



During the five week trial the 7,350 tonne vessel has completed all power and propulsion testing, as well as a series of tests in open water off the west coast of Scotland which included extensive Long Range Radar and navigation systems trials, medium calibre gun blast trials and weapon alignment tests.

Combat System trials have seen good performance across a wide range of equipment and numerous aircraft sorties have been flown to test the radar system including the successful tracking of the Typhoon.

During the trials Daring has performed a speed increase of 0 to 27 knots in two minutes, figure-of-eight turns that left the decks 14 degrees from horizontal, and a standstill stop in just five and a half lengths.



She has performed beyond all expectations and will complete the trials today, Friday 2 May 2008, two days ahead of schedule.

Commander David Shutts, Senior Naval Officer, Daring, has been with her from the start. He said:

"She is just simply a marvellous ship. As far as air defence goes, I would say she is the best in the world."

BAE Systems is the prime contractor for the delivery of Daring and speaking from onboard, BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions' Managing Director, Vic Emery, said:

"Once again, Daring has proved that she is a state-of-the-art vessel and a force to be reckoned with. To fully complete this set of trials with a 100 per cent success rate is a great achievement, but to do so two days ahead of an already ambitious schedule.

"The power and propulsion trials are now complete and the firing and integration trials have proved to be a resounding success. We remain on course to hand over the ship to the Royal Navy on schedule in December.

"This ship has continued to exceed all expectations and I am delighted with the results that have been achieved by the Royal Navy personnel, our partners and BAE Systems staff who have crewed the ship for the last 33 days."

The Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyers are the most advanced ships of their type in the world to date and will provide the backbone of the Royal Navy's air defences for much of the first half of the 21st century.

Commander Shutts added:

"It has never been anything less than a pleasure to work with BAE Systems and the Royal Navy can look forward to taking delivery of one very special ship."

During the first stage of sea trials, Daring sailed approximately 4,100 miles, using on average 35 cubic metres of fuel per day, and refuelled just once. This is equivalent to a quarter of the fuel consumption of a Type 42 and of a Type 23 despite Daring being 50 per cent larger than both classes of ship.

She is the first front-line warship to use all-electric propulsion and her gas turbines produce 47MW of electricity, enough to power 70,000 homes – or the City of Dundee.

A third set of sea trials for Daring is planned for August 2008.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Defen ... Trials.htm