HMS DAUNTLESS
HMS Dauntless is the second ship of the Type 45 class of air defence destroyer built for the UK Royal Navy (also known as the Daring or ‘D’ class). Dauntless’s construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships yard at Govan in August 2004 on the River Clyde.
HMS Dauntless 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.
Once commissioned, Dauntless will become 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.
The Type 45 (or Daring) class will be the most advanced air-defence warship in the world.
The ship’s capabilities centre on the SAMPSON Multi Function Radar, which can detect targets out to a distance of 400 kilometres (220 nmi), and the PAAMS missile system. The Type 45 is has frequently been cited by the British press as being the first class of warship to include e-mail and entertainment systems (including iPod charging points) within the messdecks.
These reports relate to 240-volt domestic supplies and access to external e-mail, both of which have been common features in most RN vessels for several years.
It looks like the SRE has been swapped for iPod’s, with a charging utility in messdecks, Communicators unofficial job as ship’s postman yesteryear, has been swapped for individual external email access, Daily orders been swapped to intranet.
Thanks to John Bullock for this information.