The crew of Birmingham’s £1 billion Royal Navy destroyer HMS Daring are today making final preparations before setting sail for its maiden deployment.

HMS Daring will leave its base at Portsmouth tomorrow, January 12, for a seven-month mission to the Middle East. Check out our picture gallery and video below.

The warship is the first of the six new Type 45 destroyers which are being introduced to the fleet.

Daring will be taking over from a frigate currently on station at East of Suez, where it will continue counter-piracy measures as well as providing general backup for the UK’s operations and allies in the region.

Preparations for the deployment have included extensive training culminating in an eight-week operational sea training course which the ship and crew passed in November.

See our HMS Daring picture gallery below.