Article Posted on : - Sep 23, 2010

Daimond arrives in Portsmouth. A BAE Systems photo

PORTSMOUTH, UK (BNS): Diamond, the third Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy, has been handed over to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at a ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base Wednesday.

The Royal Navy’s Commodore Steve Brunton formally accepted the destroyer on behalf of the MOD in Portsmouth, where she will join her sister ships HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless.

After undergoing an extensive sea trials programme, Diamond left river Clyde with a combined BAE Systems and Royal Navy crew for the final time on Saturday and arrived into her new home port of Portsmouth Wednesday.

The Type 45 destroyer is the largest and most powerful air defence destroyer ever built for the Royal Navy and will provide UK Defence with a world-class military capability, BAE Systems said.

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.

Each destroyer will be able to engage a number of targets simultaneously, and defend aircraft carriers or groups of ships, such as an amphibious landing force, against the strongest future threats from the air.

BAE Systems 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 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 company said.