Engineering news
HMS Duncan, the sixth and last of the Royal Navy's new-generation Type 45 destroyers, has been formally commissioned into the fleet.
The event marked a significant milestone for the fleet of Portsmouth-based Type 45s – the most powerful ships of their type ever built for the Royal Navy.
Duncan’s Commanding Officer, James Stride, said: "The commissioning ceremony marks a major milestone in the life of HMS Duncan.
"Today also marks the effective end of the Type 45 build programme with the final destroyer now commissioned."
HMS Duncan will complete a period of trials and training around the UK lasting one year before being ready to undertake operational tasking along with her sister ships.
The first Type 45, HMS Daring, was commissioned in July 2009 and has been followed by Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan vessels.
The first four ships have already experienced life on operational deployments and HMS Defender is due to deploy for the first time next year.
Type 45 destroyer facts and figures
- Length: 152 metres
- Beam: 21.2 metres
- Top speed: 30+ knots
- Range: 7,000 nautical miles
- Displacement: 8,000 tonnes
- Complement: 190 personnel
Type 45's weapons systems include: Lynx Mk8 helicopter weapons system
The Lynx is capable to taking on enemy ships, enemy submarines, and smaller surface targets courtesy of machine-gun pods or sniper rifles.
Phalanx short range machine gun
Capable of engaging targets around one mile away, Phalanx is a radar-controlled Gatling gun which fires 20mm shells, spewing out 3,000 rounds a minute. Like Goalkeeper, it is designed to engage incoming enemy aircraft and missiles if they penetrated a ship or task group's outer ring of defences such as Sea Viper or Sea Dart.
Mk8 4.5 gun
The main gun, found on the forecastle, can fire up to two dozen high explosive shells weighing more than 40kg at targets more than a dozen miles away - and nearly 18 miles if special extended-range shells are used. The main purpose of the gun is Naval Gunfire Support and it can also be used effectively against surface targets at sea.
Sea Viper
This surface to air missile system is the reason why the ships exist, and why the main mast is so tall. The missile provides all-round defence against all aerial threats some 70 miles away. It races towards its target at speeds in excess of 3,000mph using a series of tiny jets to manoeuvre, carrying out sharp turns that no human could endure.