Article Posted on : - May 20, 2011

Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyer HMS Daring

LONDON (BNS): Royal Navy's next generation warship HMS Daring has successfully fired air defence missile system ‘Sea Viper’ for the first time.

The type 45 destroyer fired the new air defence system during a training exercise at the Ministry of Defence target range in the Hebrides, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

"This is another important achievement for the Type 45 project. Sea Viper is one of the most advanced weapons systems in the world and this capability, combined with the might and speed of the Type 45 destroyer, will provide the Royal Navy with a fearsome fighting force with unparalleled protection from air attacks," Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff was quoted as saying.

A £165m contract has been awarded to MBDA to provide technical assistance for the Sea Viper missile systems on the six destroyers that will be based at Portsmouth Naval Base, the MoD said.

Sea Viper is capable of defending the new battleships, and other vessels sailing with them, against missiles approaching from any direction and at supersonic speeds, representing a huge leap in capability for the Royal Navy, it said.