How the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers Rule the Sea and Skies

If you are a fan of naval warfare, you might have heard of the Type 45 destroyer, also known as the Daring class, a class of six guided-missile destroyers built for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy in the early 21st century. These ships are the pride of the naval fleet, as they are designed to protect both land and sea forces from aircraft attacks and defend against supersonic anti-ship missiles. In this blog post, I will give you an overview of the weapons and capabilities of the Type 45 destroyer, and why they are the ultimate seaborne deterrent.

The Sea Viper Missile System

The main weapon system of the Type 45 destroyer is the Sea Viper missile system, which consists of a 48-cell Sylver A50 vertical launching system, a Sampson multi-function radar, a S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar, and a command and control system. The Sea Viper can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously. The missiles used by the Sea Viper are the Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, which have a range of 1.7–30 km and 3–120 km respectively1. The Aster missiles are capable of intercepting and destroying a variety of aerial threats, such as fighter jets, bombers, drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The Sea Viper system is expected to be upgraded with a ballistic missile defence capability, called Sea Viper Evolution, by 2026. Additionally, the Type 45 destroyers will be fitted with 24 cell Sea Ceptor silos from 2026, which will replace the Aster 15 missiles and allow all 48 Sylver cells to be used for Aster 30.

The Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile

Another weapon that the Type 45 destroyer can use to fend off attacks is the Harpoon anti-ship missile, which is a subsonic, sea-skimming, all-weather missile that can target surface vessels and land targets. The Harpoon has a range of over 120 km and carries a 227 kg warhead. The Type 45 destroyer can carry up to eight Harpoon missiles, which are intermittently deployed since 2022 . However, the Harpoon missiles are due to be replaced with the Naval Strike Missile from 2024 . The Naval Strike Missile is a stealthy, supersonic, fire-and-forget missile that can perform evasive maneuvers and terrain-following flight. The Naval Strike Missile has a range of over 200 km and carries a 125 kg warhead.

The 4.5 inch Mark 8 Naval Gun

The Type 45 destroyer also has a 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun, which is a medium-calibre gun that can fire high-explosive shells at a rate of up to 25 rounds per minute and a range of up to 27 km. The gun can be used for naval gunfire support, anti-surface warfare, and anti-aircraft warfare. The gun is controlled by an Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System and an Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system.

The Close-In Weapon Systems

For close-in defence, the Type 45 destroyer has two DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns, two 20 mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems, two 7.62 mm Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023) , and six 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns. The DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns can fire armour-piercing or high-explosive rounds at a rate of up to 200 rounds per minute and a range of up to 3 km. The guns can be used for anti-surface warfare and anti-aircraft warfare. The 20 mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems can fire tungsten bullets at a rate of up to 4,500 rounds per minute and a range of up to 1.5 km. The Phalanx CIWS can automatically detect, track, and engage incoming threats such as anti-ship missiles, aircraft, and small boats. The Miniguns and the general purpose machine guns can be used for warning shots and close-range defence.

The Helicopters

The Type 45 destroyer has a flight deck and hangar to support the operation of a single Merlin HM2 or two Wildcat HMA2 helicopters. The Merlin HM2 can carry four Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes or Mk 11 depth charges and can perform anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and maritime patrol missions. The Wildcat HMA2 can carry four Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (projected from 2026) , two Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes, or 20 Martlet multirole air-surface missiles (from 2021) and can perform anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and maritime patrol missions.

The Sensors and Protection Systems

The Type 45 destroyer is equipped with a variety of sensors and protection systems to enhance its situational awareness and survivability. The ship has a Fully Integrated Communications System (FICS45) that provides voice, intercom, data links and conference calls, both internally and externally. The ship also has a Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) system for total awareness of the ship’s surroundings. The ship has an Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar for underwater detection. The ship also has an UAT Mod 2.0 electronic warfare system, an AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system, and a Seagnat Naval Decoy IDS300 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence system for self-protection. The ship has a Kevlar splinter protection and a 70 mm magazine/VLS for armour.

Conclusion

As you can see, the Type 45 destroyer is a formidable warship that can fend off attacks from multiple domains and angles. The ship has a powerful and versatile missile system, a reliable and accurate gun system, a robust and agile helicopter system, and a sophisticated and comprehensive sensor and protection system. The Type 45 destroyer is the backbone of the Royal Navy’s air defence and anti-missile warfare, and a key asset for the UK’s defence and security.