Defense Talk reports that the Royal Navy recently commissioned it's third Type 45 Air Defense Destroyer named the Diamond in Portsmouth.
The Type 45 destroyers are designed to replace the Type 42 guided missile destroyers that were built during the 70s and 80s. The Type 45-class is expected to have a production run of 6 ships of which Daring and Dauntless are active, Diamond and Dragon are undergoing trials and Defender and Duncan are being built. The Type 45 is armed with a SYLVER vertical surface to air missile launcher armed with Aster series missiles, Stingray helicopter launched torpedoes and a 4.5" main gun on the bow. The performance figures for a Type 45 are actually pretty good: max speed: 27 knots, cruising speed: 18 knots, range: 7000 nautical miles at 18 knots.
As the 6 Type 45s are supposed to replace the 14 Type 42s, it will be interesting to see how the Type 45 fares in naval combat with fewer numbers than in previous decades.
Photo Credit: Brian Burnell
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