HMS Daring: Fit for purpose

Nov 6 2009 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM’s warship is training hard.

As autumn approached, Daring – along with other warships, submarines, aircraft and auxiliary vessels – was utilised to trial this first of class anti-air warship destroyer. The trials, to test and certify the state-of-the-art radar suite and weapons systems as fit for purpose, included having jet aircraft fly towards her at high speeds and conduct high-velocity manoeuvres 30ft above sea level.

Her technology is virtually all new but Daring is learning the old tricks, too, such as a fuel transfer at sea with Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Ruler. Daring visited Guernsey for her annual commemoration of the wartime sinking of HM ships Charybdis and Limborne by German U-boats. The ship’s communications and information systems engineering officer Lt Cdr Chris Andrews was guest of honour at Birmingham’s Nautical Club with 106 members present at their dinner.