Work commences on Royal Navy’s sixth Type 45 Destroyer
Today, Friday 29 February 2008, BAE Systems shipyards in Glasgow started to cut steel for the Royal Navy’s sixth Type 45 Destroyer, Duncan. The Type 45s are larger and more powerful than the Type 42 Destroyers they replace. They will be able to carry up to 235 crew, including 60 Royal Marine commandos and their equipment. There is also significant scope within the design of the ship to accommodate new equipment through its life.
The first Type 45 Destroyer, HMS Daring, is due to be handed over to the Royal Navy later this year following further extensive sea trials.
The Type 45s are the largest and most powerful destroyers ever ordered for the Royal Navy with a range of around 7,000 nautical miles which equates to New York and back without refuelling. Each gas turbine on the ship produces a huge amount of power of about 24 Megawatts.
The hull structure is made of 2,800 tonnes of steel which is more than the weight of the Blackpool Tower. Approximately 40 tonnes of paint will have to be applied to cover an area of 100,000 square meters of steel.
Three of the fleet of six ships have already been launched, the most recent of which, HMS Diamond, entered the Clyde for the first time from the berth in Govan in November 2007. Duncan is the sixth of the ‘D’ Class of Type 45 Destroyers. The others are Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon and Defender.