http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7848174.stm
HMS Daring, the first of six Type 45 Anti Air Warfare Destroyers in production for the Royal Navy, has docked at its home port of Portsmouth for the first time.
It has been hailed by its creators as the most powerful and advanced vessel of its kind.
As a class of warship, destroyers have historically been small, agile ships designed to protect larger, slower convoys and strike groups from airborne and naval threats.
Since the end of World War II, destroyers have steadily grown, both in size and in terms of firepower.
HMS Daring is no exception to this trend. The Type 45 destroyer's primary mission is air defence, a role that its arsenal reflects.
The Principal Anti Air Missile System (Paams) is the Type 45's primary weapons platform and is designed to combat enemy missile attacks on ships.
Paams consists of a 48-cell vertical missile launcher that allows the destroyer to engage targets from 360 degrees.
The missiles themselves are a mix of Aster 15s and Aster 30s, which can strike targets at distances of up to 30km (19 miles) and 100km (62 miles) respectively.
They are radar-guided by the Sampson phased-array radar system perched, like the head of a snowman, atop the Type 45's mast.
The radar suite on the Type 45 can track targets for hundreds of miles around, on the sea and in the air.
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For people like me who love military programs, this is great news. By 2012 we should have 6 of these patroling our waters.
Its a pity we have to spread the two new super carriers over an extra couple of years to help the budget deficit but with the F-35 having massive delivery date & budget problems anyway, that may not be such a bad thing.
HMS Daring, the first of six Type 45 Anti Air Warfare Destroyers in production for the Royal Navy, has docked at its home port of Portsmouth for the first time.
It has been hailed by its creators as the most powerful and advanced vessel of its kind.
As a class of warship, destroyers have historically been small, agile ships designed to protect larger, slower convoys and strike groups from airborne and naval threats.
Since the end of World War II, destroyers have steadily grown, both in size and in terms of firepower.
HMS Daring is no exception to this trend. The Type 45 destroyer's primary mission is air defence, a role that its arsenal reflects.
The Principal Anti Air Missile System (Paams) is the Type 45's primary weapons platform and is designed to combat enemy missile attacks on ships.
Paams consists of a 48-cell vertical missile launcher that allows the destroyer to engage targets from 360 degrees.
The missiles themselves are a mix of Aster 15s and Aster 30s, which can strike targets at distances of up to 30km (19 miles) and 100km (62 miles) respectively.
They are radar-guided by the Sampson phased-array radar system perched, like the head of a snowman, atop the Type 45's mast.
The radar suite on the Type 45 can track targets for hundreds of miles around, on the sea and in the air.
*************************
For people like me who love military programs, this is great news. By 2012 we should have 6 of these patroling our waters.
Its a pity we have to spread the two new super carriers over an extra couple of years to help the budget deficit but with the F-35 having massive delivery date & budget problems anyway, that may not be such a bad thing.