HMS Dauntless (D33)

HMS Dauntless in 2012
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Dauntless
Ordered	20 December 2000[1]
Builder	BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
Yard number	1062[2]
Laid down	28 August 2004
Launched	23 January 2007
Commissioned	3 June 2010[3]
Identification	Deck code: DT Pennant number: D33 International callsign: GPLB[4] IMO number: 4907751[5]
Motto	Perpetuus Desperandum
Status	In active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement	8,000[6] to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)[7][8][9]
Length	152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam	21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught	7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power	2 × Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each 3 × MTU 4000 series diesel generators, 3 MW (4,000 shp) each
Propulsion	2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with 2 × Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)[10]
Range	In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)[10]
Complement	191[11] (accommodation for up to 235)
Sensors and processing systems	SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045) S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046) Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System 2 × Raytheon AHRS INS (MINS 2) 2 × Raytheon I-band Radar (Type 1047) 1 × Raytheon E/F-band Radar (Type 1048)[12] Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)[13] Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)[14] AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system[15] Seagnat Naval Decoy IDS300 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament	Anti-air missiles: PAAMS air-defence system 48 × Sylver vertical launching system A50 for: Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km) Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km), to be upgraded with a ballistic missile defence capability,[16] called Sea Viper Evolution.[17] 24 × Sea Ceptor silos to be fitted starting on HMS Defender from 2026 for: 24 × surface-to-air missiles that will replace the Aster 15 missiles to allow all 48 × Sylver vertical launching systems to be used for Aster 30.][18][19][20] Anti-ship missiles: Harpoon Block 1C SSMs, originally fit (retired 2023);[21][22][23][24][25] being replaced with Naval Strike Missile starting on HMS Dauntless from 2024)[26][27][28] Guns: 1 × 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun 2 × DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns[29] 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × 7.62 mm Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023)[30] 6 × 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried	1× Lynx Wildcat, armed with: Martlet multirole missiles, or Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (projected full operating capability from 2026)[31] or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes or 1 × Westland Merlin,[32] armed with: 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities	Large flight deck Enclosed hangar

HMS Dauntless is the second ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the British Royal Navy. She was launched at Govan in January 2007, was handed over to the Royal Navy on 3 December 2009 and was formally commissioned on 3 June 2010.

Dauntless's construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships yard at Govan in August 2004 on the River Clyde. She was launched on 23 January 2007 at 3.25 pm by Lady Burnell-Nugent, wife of Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, the then-Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Dauntless is the adopted warship of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Because her modules were put together outside at BAE Govan, it was possible to complete more of her structure than her sister ship, Daring, which was launched from the covered facility at Scotstoun the previous year.

Upon completing her fitting out stage, HMS Dauntless sailed from the Clyde for the first time on 14 November 2008 to conduct sea trials, testing power and propulsion, weapons and communications systems. Although not yet transferred to the Royal Navy, some of her future crew sailed with her.^[33] Dauntless arrived at HMNB Portsmouth for the first time on 2 December 2009, and was formally handed over to the Ministry of Defence by her builders on 3 December 2009.^[34][35] During her sea trials Dauntless made her inaugural visit to her affiliated city of Newcastle upon Tyne in May 2010.

Dauntless was commissioned on 3 June 2010 in the presence of her sponsor.^[36] The MoD confirmed on 1 October 2010 that she had completed the first Sea Viper firing on a Hebridean firing range earlier in the week,^[37] and the ship was accepted into service on 16 November the same year.^[38]

In May 2011, Dauntless took part in Exercise Saxon Warrior in the Western Approaches, culminating in a so-called 'Thursday War'.^[39]

In June 2011, Dauntless sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Norfolk, Virginia, to take part in the FRUKUS war game exercises between Russia, France, the United States and the United Kingdom. En route in the Atlantic she rendezvoused and conducted manoeuvres with the Russian destroyer Admiral Chabanenko, which was also heading for the FRUKUS exercises, conducting cross helicopter exercises which saw Dauntless' two Lynx helicopters land on the Admiral Chabanenko. The deployment was the first time that two Lynxs had been deployed aboard a Type 45 destroyer.^[40][41]

In September 2011, Dauntless was the first of the Type 45 destroyers to visit London. She sailed up the Thames and berthed opposite London City Airport for the Defence and Security Equipment International event.^[42] On 25 November 2011, HMS Dauntless hosted Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey.^[43]

In January 2012, it was announced that Dauntless would deploy to the South Atlantic to replace HMS Montrose which was stationed around the Falkland Islands. The deployment was condemned by the government of Argentina, which claimed that the deployment represented a "militarization of the South Atlantic", despite the replacement representing only a modest increase in fighting capacity.^[44][45][46]

Between 2011 and 2012 she was commanded by Captain William Warrender.^[47]

In 2015, Dauntless re-sailed for the Middle East after a short delay, with a plan to take part in the centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign.^[48] She conducted anti-piracy patrols, as well as provide escort to U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) which is involved in airstrikes against ISIL.^[49] In November 2015, she participated with other NATO air defence ships in an "At Sea Demonstration", focusing on anti-ballistic missile warfare.^[50]

In April 2016, The Independent stated that the vessel had been relegated to use as a training ship due to manpower and technical shortages, although this was disputed by the MOD at the time.^[51] Her status as an engineering training ship pending entering refit was confirmed in June 2016.^[52]

In 2019 Dauntless underwent a regeneration refit in Portsmouth before sailing to Birkenhead in May 2020 ^[53] as the first Type 45 to have new generators fitted under the Power Improvement Project. She left the shipyard on 14 June 2022 upon completion of the refit, and put to sea for the first time in two years.^[54]

In May 2023, the destroyer deployed to the Caribbean for six months, taking over guardship duties there from HMS Medway which had temporarily deployed to the South Atlantic.^[55] In September, the destroyer was involved in multiple operations that seized more than a tonne of cocaine from drug smugglers, worth over 140 million pounds.^[56] In September the destroyer also visited the territories of Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands in order to assist local authorities in preparing for the climax of the hurricane season.^[57]

The destroyer entered maintenance in 2023/24 and is reported as likely to be the first ship in her class to be fit with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).^[58] On October 18, 2024, she rejoined the fleet after successfully completing her maintenance cycle.^[59]

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