Article Posted on : - Sep 19, 2010

Diamond - The third Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy.

GLASGOW, UK (BNS): Diamond, the third Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer has set sail to her new home port of Portsmouth, where she will be formally handed over to the Royal Navy at a ceremony on Wednesday.

BAE Systems which is building the ship for the Royal Navy plans to deliver six Type 45 destroyers by 2013. The first of class, HMS Daring, entered service on 31 July, while HMS Dauntless, the second of class, was handed over to the Royal Navy last December, the comapny said in a statement.

The fourth ship, Dragon, will undertake her first sea trials in November, while outfit continues on Defender, the fifth ship in the class, launched only last October at the company's Govan yard. The sixth and final ship, Duncan, will be launched on 11 October.

The destroyers will be capable of carrying out a wide range of operations, including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, disaster-relief work and surveillance operations as well as high intensity war fighting, according to BAE Systems.

Each destroyer will also be able to engage a large number of targets simultaneously, and defend aircraft carriers or groups of ships.The vessels will contribute a specialist air warfare capability to worldwide maritime and joint operations until 2040, it said.