'Dragon' destroyer ready for UK's Royal Navy

(BNS) : ‘Dragon’ the fourth Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer will be formally handed over to the Royal Navy at a ceremony on Wednesday.

BAE Systems is on track to deliver all six Type 45 destroyers to the Royal Navy by early 2013.

‘Defender’ is currently undergoing final stages of outfit and will head to sea for the first time in November, while outfit and commissioning continues on ‘Duncan’ the sixth and final vessel in the class, following her launch in October 2010. Duncan will commence her first stage sea trials in the first half of 2012.

According to BAE Systems, the destroyers are 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 large 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.

The vessels will contribute a specialist air warfare capability to worldwide maritime and joint operations until 2040, it said in a statement.

Brahmand