Type 45 / Daring class

The Type 45, or Daring class, is a six-ship Royal Navy air-defence destroyer class built by BAE Systems for fleet and carrier protection. The ships were purpose-built for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare and use Sea Viper as their principal weapon system.

Red Sea CrisisUnspecified

Type 45 / Daring class, Air-defence destroyer class, Naval Systems

Image source: HMS Diamond entering Portsmouth Harbour

Principal Weapon System

Royal Navy describes Sea Viper as the principal weapon system of the Daring class.

Carried item

Item type

Carriage evidence

Aster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missile, Ship-launched surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense

Aster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missile

Shipborne area air-defense missile system

Sea Viper provides the Daring class with its main anti-air and anti-missile combat capability.

Sources: Royal Navy Daring class

Profile

Origin: United Kingdom
Built by: BAE Systems
Type: Air-defence destroyer class
Service note: Commissioned between 2009 and 2013
Number built: 6
Variants: HMS Daring (D32), HMS Dauntless (D33), HMS Diamond (D34), HMS Dragon (D35), HMS Defender (D36), HMS Duncan (D37)

Also Known As

Type 45 destroyer
Type 45 destroyers
Daring class
Daring-class destroyer
HMS Daring class

destroyer guided-missile destroyer air defense naval

Specifications

Displacement: 7,350 tonnes
Length: 152 metres
Speed: 30 knots
Range: 7,000 nautical miles
Crew: Approximately 190
Flight deck: Helicopter deck and hangar for one Merlin helicopter

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Commissioned into service between July 2009 and September 2013.
Used by: Royal Navy

Conflict Usage

Side: Unspecified

Type 45 destroyers have escorted and defended coalition carrier strike groups supporting strikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. HMS Diamond also used its air-defence systems to destroy Houthi drones and missiles during Red Sea operations in 2023-2024.

Type 45 / Daring class Images

Type 45 / Daring class, Air-defence destroyer class, Naval Systems - view 1 — Source: HMS Daring sea trials image

Type 45 / Daring class, Air-defence destroyer class, Naval Systems - view 2 — Source: HMS Dauntless and HMS Diamond

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Sources

Royal Navy Daring classPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the Daring class role, the six-ship overview, Sea Viper as the principal weapon system, and core dimensions and speed figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Type 45 destroyers - BAE SystemsPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background, construction context, commissioning window, and key platform facts for the Type 45 destroyer class. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 HMS Diamond shoots down Houthi missilePublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports HMS Diamond's 2024 Red Sea and Gulf of Aden deployment and Sea Viper intercept context. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 HMS Diamond entering Portsmouth HarbourPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image page for HMS Diamond returning from Middle East service. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 HMS Daring sea trials imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image page for HMS Daring, the first Type 45 destroyer, during sea trials. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 HMS Dauntless and HMS DiamondPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image page for two Type 45 destroyers in Portsmouth. | Accessed: 2026-06-25