HMS Daring, the first of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers, is preparing to return to sea after an extended period of refit and regeneration, according to a parliamentary answer from Defence Minister Luke Pollard.
Responding to a written question from Ben Obese-Jecty MP, Pollard said:
“HMS Daring entered service on 31 July 2010 and has delivered effect on operations since. As with all Royal Navy vessels, during her in service period there have been periods of ‘planned’ unavailability including Daring’s Propulsion Improvement Programme (PIP) which commenced in October 2021, completing in January 2023. Since her return to His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, HMS Daring has been re-generating and has received several capability upgrades.”
The Ministry of Defence declined to release figures on the exact number of days the destroyer has spent at sea or under repair, citing the existing schedule of readiness reporting to the House of Commons Defence Committee.
Daring’s regeneration marks a big moment for the Type 45 fleet, which has undergone major engineering work under the Power Improvement Project. The programme replaces the class’s original propulsion system with more reliable and efficient engines designed to enhance endurance and electrical capacity for future weapons and sensors.
Since being withdrawn from operational service in 2017, HMS Daring has spent more than 3,000 days in refit, a period longer than the time it took to build her. Now, with upgraded power and combat systems, the destroyer is crewing up for sea trials ahead of rejoining front-line service.
Good news. We have all been awaiting this for some time.
Perhaps an extending period of operational activity for the T45s is now possible.
You never know the next few years might see images of all T45s at sea together.
Best looking ships on the seas IMO.
Just how George could resist putting “Extended” in quotation marks shows what a true Steely Eyed Journalist he is. Me I’d have stuck 🤭 emoji in as well.
Just to put this “extended” into context.
HMS Daring was laid down 28/03/03 and commissioned on 23/07/09 that’s 2309 days.
HMS Daring was laid up 01/06/17 and up to today that’s 3063 days.
For once I just have no words to express my feelings !
“The Ministry of Defence declined to release figures on the exact number of days the destroyer has spent at sea or under repair”
Hiding. Come out, you charlatans.
“HMS Daring entered service on 31 July 2010 and has delivered effect on operations since.”
Apart from sitting at Pompey since 2017. Delivered effect? So in plain English, it conducted operations and conducted training.
A book of stunningly inept, obvious, untrue, or half truth quotes from MoD Spokespeople or Ministers would be quite something.
I think you could say that there is a positive side to this. Most of the class have spent extended time out of service, alright Daring seems to have been the longest, but that means that they have not been run hard and most of the basic systems, hydraulics fire mains etc have not been subject to usual use. This should mean that it will be possible to extend the life of the class further than the current OSD. Given that on past MOD/ government performance the Type 83, or whatever it turns out to be will not emerge into the sunlight till goodness knows when, I expect the 45’s will be around for a good while.
Agreed, and you may well be right! A fortunate bye product of, I assume, being cannibalised for spares for years.
Maybe they have a “cunning plan” all along to preserve what little assets we have left.
Not sure there is much of a plan, and I doubt it’s very cunning!!
Should have had Cat’s and Trap’s from the bloody beginning, that’s what I say. 😠
“planned” unavailabilty…..for eight years !
The Defence Minister gave no indication of WHEN Daring will be declared operational, and absent that his statement takes the matter no further forward.
It will be a big improvement to see her programmed to run under her own power….
Sorry couldn’t resist that….
Watch as it’s now taken out of service for an NSM and Sea Ceptor silo install!
I doubt that will happen immediately.
Much more likely to be programmed in with other works.
Wait a minute…return to service? Yeah right, pull my other leg, its got bells on.
It says “re-joining frontline service”, it doesn’t say with which navy
🙂 I love a fellow cynic.
Apparently It will be worked up alongside the Gosport Ferry before venturing out into the Solent in 2035.
This is fantastalistic news, showcasing just how quickly the UK can move if given the need, what other country can turn around this state of the art, world class capability in such a length of time.
The word ‘re-generating’ is disturbing, re-generating from what exactly? A pitiful run down stare stripped for spares? The same word is being used for HMS Artful, although nothing is being said about HMS Ambush? Someone needs to explain why our subs and ships are the equivalent of RAF hangar queen’s? We simply don’t the numbers to allow this to happen and somebody needs to be held accountable.
No one is held accountable, for decades.
And the public don’t know, or care.
And the politicians know this.
That is the problem.
How can they be held accountable if they are not placed in front of a journalist to ask the right questions and get them squirming.
My Box is closing soon, maybe I should change career!