HMS Diamond is heading back to the Red Sea to help guard international shipping from attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and their attack drones.
The Type 45 destroyer shot down numerous drones as part of the international Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Given the recent events in the Red Sea involving HMS Diamond effectively utilising the Sea Viper missile system, we believe it pertinent for our readers to gain an expanded understanding of this technology.
HMS Diamond, in collaboration with US warships, played a critical role in thwarting what has been reported as the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the region to date.
British warship ‘fires guns and missiles’ downing Red Sea drones
The coordinated effort involved HMS Diamond, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), and USS Mason (DDG 87). Together, they downed eighteen unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile. This operation was crucial in safeguarding numerous merchant vessels.
The Type 45 Destroyers, also known as Daring-class destroyers, are specifically designed around the Sea Viper (PAAMS) air-defence system. Each Type 45 destroyer is equipped with a 48-cell A50 Sylver Vertical Launching System. This system is designed to accommodate a mix of up to 48 Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.
What actually is Sea Viper?
The Sea Viper air-defence system, an advanced missile system deployed by the Royal Navy. Known formally as the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), it was developed as a joint venture by France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The system is a cornerstone of the Royal Navy’s air defence capability.
The genesis of the Sea Viper dates back to the late 1990s, as part of the collaborative effort for the ‘Common New Generation Frigate’ programme, initially encompassing the UK, France, and Italy. After disagreements, the UK departed from the frigate project but continued its commitment to the PAAMS initiative. This led to the creation of a variant specifically for the UK’s naval needs, culminating in the Sea Viper system.
Components of Sea Viper
- Missiles: The system employs the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, known for their precision and long-range capabilities, more on those below.
- SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar: A key component of the PAAMS(S) variant, offering exceptional target tracking and engagement capabilities.
- Sylver Vertical Launching System: This allows for rapid and versatile missile deployment, crucial for responding to fast-moving aerial threats.
- S1850M Long-Range Radar: Provides early warning and tracking of potential threats at extended ranges.
The Sea Viper system employs the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.
- Aster 15: Weighing 310 kg and measuring 4.2 metres in length, with a diameter of 180 mm. It has a 15 kg focused fragmented warhead and a lethal radius of 2 metres. The missile is powered by a solid propellant, two-stage motor, and can reach above 30 km with a flight altitude of 13 km, achieving speeds of Mach 3.
- Aster 30: Slightly larger, this variant weighs 450 kg and measures 4.9 metres, maintaining the same diameter. It boasts an operational range above 120 km (150 km for the Block 1 NT variant) and a flight altitude of 20 km, with maximum speeds of Mach 4.5.
Both variants use an inertial guidance system with an up-link and an active RF seeker for precise target acquisition and engagement. Their design allows for high agility and precision, making them exceptionally effective against a range of high-performance air threats.
Good she is getting back in the fight, this crisis has unfortunately come at the wrong time for the T45 fleet with many in dock. However it’s entirely possible it will go on for a long time given more T45 crews great training.
It’s a lesson in capability gaps for the RN. The world doesn’t stop because you aren’t ready.
It’s not the RN that need to learn a lesson in capability gaps, its our politians, both present and future, and our main stream media. It’s time to made our national defence a vote winner and make it unpallitable for the gov to cut cut cut.
I’m pretty sure no politician selected the electric drive on T45 which is what’s caused all the problems.
The problem has been known and well understood since the mid 2000’s. The can was kicked almost two decades under the auspice of cost..
Only if the nation accepts what cannot be done with what was provided. At some point the responsibility has to be between the budget provider, the choice of kit, and the choice of tasks to be done. We all agree that the choice of tasks are too high and the budget is too low which are the politicians, but where is the line in the choice of kit? We know the politicians get involved in the choice of kit. Even if they don’t actually come up with the concept of an all electric drive, their insistance of using the NG… Read more »
Basically because the EMPAR that the Horizon class use is a crap radar compared to Sampson. France in particular pushed to have EMPAR over Sampson. The Navy said no and could back up the reason with verified data. Secondly the UK wanted a much larger ship. As a larger ship would be easier to install modifications and additional systems, after learning from the issue with the T42s. Check out the stats between the T45 and a Horizon. The budget allocated to 12 T45s wasn’t too small, at the time it was fully costed. The Government decided that as their was… Read more »
A 9000t Destroyer and all they fitted was a 48-cell A50 (short) VLS. Seriously! Seems the B-Ark will need some more room.
Not any different to any other European AAW ship really….horizons have 48,
I believe the RAN Hobart’s and Dutch Tromps have 6 MK41s for 32 SM2s + 2*32 = 64 ESSMs or more or less of each and will also take TLAMs . Reason for why fitting MK41s (or A50/70s?) for quad CAMM/other missiles or even more than 4*6 CAMM could be very useful force multiplier for these six hulls and not on just T26 /T31s.
Its not the number of cells that count but what you have in them. USN ABs have 90 or 96 cells. If fitted with SM2 block 2, the most common and numerous USN medium range SAM, it their best practise to salvo fire 2 at a target because its a semi active homer and the PK is a lot less per missile than the active homing Viper. So 96/2 =48! Of course, that 96 doesn’t account for the other fun toys an AB has. They may have Tomahawk, ASROC, SM3 (ABM missile), SM6 ( V long range AAW and surface… Read more »
Exactly
Once she has the CAMM upgrade she will carry more AAW missiles than an Arleigh Burke.
How so?
I guess that’s true if you don’t count the quad packed essm
True, but a T45 will have 72 dedicated surface to air missiles. Which is still a hell of a lot better than the original 48.
I agree and I think it’s a fair point that GB makes. My issue is are we maximizing the potential of these ships. They will be the main protectors of the carriers and for any would be uk adversary, there will be no bigger target than to be able to destroy or at least take a QE class ship out of the fight. Are we doing enough here?
Hi Davey, it does look like there’s plenty room for more than 24 CAMM on the T45s. Up to 36,48 even without MK41s. There’s only six vessels, why not maximise their load out and for their 10-15 years of life to go? BAE proposed a huge muscle up on the RAN T26 Hunter class so hope a bit of that type of thinking can rub off on the T45s.
It would be awesome, if the Navy can maximize the number of CAMMs. However, the Red Sea mission has highlighted that the T45’s Aster although more than adequate. Is massively overly expensive for the job it has being doing, of shooting down drones. CAMM is significantly less in cost, can easily shoot down drones, but on a cost versus threat basis, it is still massively more expensive than the threat. I am hoping that the RN takes a long hard look, at what is happening in the Red Sea and in the Black Sea. Where OK Russia aren’t facing a… Read more »
The usn developed the Surface to Surface Missile Module (SSMM) for the LCS class of ships some years ago that would be perfect for the threat of USVs. It’s modular but I’m not sure if it could be integrated into other ships but it does fire hellfire missiles and those are relatively cheap and there are tens of thousands of those around. Take a look at the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zry-DDwggg
Thanks for your terrific reply! And others here too. The arc space atop the hangar on the T23 /T45s could be utilised with more CAMM, 40mm, or a Phalanx. They’ll have to look at the QE carriers and RFAs too in light of all this. Are AAW escorts going to protect other ships with this level of attacks?
The SYLVER A50 is hardly a short VLS – there are shorter ones available – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylver_Vertical_Launching_System#/media/File:Sylver_Launching_System_-_Types_of_Missiles.gif
“It has a 15 kg focused fragmented warhead and a lethal radius of 2 metres.“ Must be a typo?
That was a swift turn around…well planned on the RNs part getting a set of reloads ready in Gib…
Yes, indeed. Wryly, still appreciate the debt we owe Georgians & Victorians. Bunkers within mountains in this case; and railways & sewers closer to home
The mag complex in (Literally) Gib is worth a visit if you ever get the chance as are the other still in use underground infrastructure sites.
On top of that is the always popular tunnel tours of the now unused areas dating back centuries and added to through WW2 to the present day. All that stone landfill for the Airport had to come from somewhere!
Cheers. Bit late for me nowadays, but did spend a number of weeks in Gib during early 70s.
Just thinking if they shoot off all the A15s there’ll be less to convert A30 Standard and may have to get some new builds to restock.
It’s what might come at Diamond from below the surface of the sea that worries me! Airborne missiles and drones – no problem. Sea Viper can’t hit stuff below the water line and that’s the threat that’s coming I fear!
I would assume they have that covered by a few subs from each nation actively monitoring the sub sea areas around each vessel.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/18/red-sea-houthis-deploy-drone-submarine-shipping-middle-east/#:~:text=While%20this%20is%20the%20first,and%20have%20a%20longer%20range.
It would seem that they indeed do:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-could-submarines-be-gamechanger-houthis
US & RN need to stop playing games with these Hoodlums. It’s Tit for Tat. Spending Million’s in Missiles to shoot down Cheap Chinese & Iranian Drone’s. It’s a lesson in economics that the Houthis will win. Stop slapping these Thugs and hit them hard. These Navies are being to polite and sending a bad message to our Enemies. Send the bill to these shipping giants and let them pay the Tab.
I miss Bofors. Cheap as chips and made lots of noise.
We’re gonna need a lot more guns and electronics to counter drone proliferation for sure.
Sometimes the “old ways” are the best 😆
As so often – Back to the Future? Of course, we do have a decent interim solution to my mind by way of Martlet.
Nice kit but I always thought lead in the air was a bit more lethal. And some modern rounds now are really capable. Gepard seems to be a Ukrainian favourite for that reason. And Phalanx/Goalkeeper etc. I watched Warthogs on our local range when they were stationed here, mind blowing amount of lead.
No disagreement whatsoever. But, thinking of the Red Sea right now, ‘restrapping’ LMM to the 30mm, or supplying own dedicated launcher – or whatever options are most practical, in a UOR scenario, seemed worth pondering. Know RN said HMS Sutherland experienced ‘efflux issues’ during trials, but incoming can have a similar outcome I believe. It’s another arrow in the quiver of prized £1B assets few in number.
Maybe what the Chancellor would term a responsible cost benefit, who knows.
True. We never seem to appreciate the needs for multi threat scenarios. You lose ships and crews by under arming. And the lead chucking stuff costs way less than the tech.
Like the Martlet suggestion. Doesn’t need to be the 5 config. Even a 3 or a four on the 30mm mount, fix the efflux issue, or on a separate launcher like the Ancillia developed by SEA which I think can take a decoy and missile mix. Possible solutions are there, you don’t have to wait to be hit!
Cheers. May not have appealed to the Chancellor vs headline tax cut. Case of N.I. his back yard?
How does that work against targets 10-70 miles away?
It obviously does not. Depending on high tech though is a sure way to lose kit and men. When your ships silos are empty? You will thank the God of Lead.
Showing your age mate!
Mate, I dug a .303 round out of the radiator armour of my Foxhound in Afghan. There was/is a gunsmiths street in Khandahar city that made working replicas of pretty much any gun you wanted. Lee Enfields were still a popular choice. They even made ammo for it. You could also get it converted to 7.62 NATO or even 7.62×39 Soviet.
I trained on them, had one after I was demobbed for CSR at Bisley. There was a story doing the rounds of a US Marine platoon pinned down by rifle fire for half a day. Eventually an F18 put a few bangers onto the target. When they did a recce they found two old Afghani guys, two SMLE’s and a box of WW2 303. It was a classic and up until recently still used by Canuck Arctic Rangers. Personally prefer the K98, always found Mauser actions smoother. did you know there were .410 versions? The lshnapur, made for riot and… Read more »
Hi John, I knew India manufactured 303s and new build 7.62 versions. But didn’t know about the 410 version. I take it, it is a smoothbore? I had the luck a few years ago of using a L42, that had a 1980’s era Zeiss scope fitted. It was fixed at x8 mag, so not variable. Crucially it had a fir tree style sighting system. So could bang out a really decent grouping at 600m. I did find the converted L42 had a very smooth action. There was now snatch as the round was collected from the mag and pushed into… Read more »
Yes they are smooth bore. The Ishnapur factory churned them out for police and prison use, although all were conversions. The Indians judged they were less lethal in a riot situation. Never shot an L42 but never heard a bad thing about them tbh. I understand there are a few “home grown” .410 SMLE conversions too, some guys wanted to keep their SMLE’s after the legislation changed in the early sixties.
We are using £2million missiles to shoot down £5000 drones?