UK: Sixth Type 45 Destroyer Completes Her Second Spell of Sea Trials

The sixth and last Type 45 destroyer has successfully completed her second spell of sea trials, paving the way for her handover to the Navy in the spring. HMS Duncan has returned to Scotstoun on the Clyde after three weeks of tests and trials off the west coast of Scotland which concentrated on her combat systems.

A major part of the trials involved rigorous testing of the Ship’s Long Range Radar (the big black rotating slab on top of the hangar) and her Sampson Multi Function Radar (the spinning spiky egg atop the main mast), which are the electronic ‘eyes’ of the powerful computer systems behind the Sea Viper missiles in their silo in Duncan’s forecastle.

The latter – the ship’s main armament and the raison d’être of the entire Type 45 programme – wasn’t tested; live firings of the anti-aircraft missile against a drone target typically come with a deployment imminent, and that’s not going to be for a couple of years yet.

But assisted by mostly fine autumn Scottish weather (yes, that surprised us as well), Duncan demonstrated her wide range of capabilities as she breezed through the vast number of trials thrown at her.

This second period follows a successful initial set of sea trials in September, which focused on the fine-tuning of her engines and propulsion system.

“Duncan has again demonstrated her outstanding capability, this time from a combat systems perspective,” said Cdr Phil Game, Duncan’s weapon engineer officer – and the senior Royal Navy member of her ship’s company.

“Whilst we remain conscious of the work ahead before the ship is finally accepted by the Royal Navy, I am extremely confident that Duncan will be delivered to the highest-possible specification for which we, and the shipbuilder, can be very proud.”

Duncan will remain alongside at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun yard until the spring, when she’ll sail for the last time under the Blue Ensign and join her five sisters in Portsmouth, where she’ll be officially handed over to the Royal Navy and raise its famous standard for the first time.

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Naval Today Staff, December 05, 2012; Image: RN