[syadasti]

Navy launches deadliest and most expensive warship
By Simon Freeman
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2020417,00.html

HMS Daring, the first of the Royal Navy's £6 billion fleet of six Type 45 Destroyers, thundered down the slipway into the River Clyde in Glasgow today, spouting red, white and blue confetti from her formidable stern.

Weighing 7,350 tonnes, her 14 decks bristling with the latest military technology, Daring's successful launch - on time and within budget - is seen as a symbol of rebirth in the Clydeside shipbuilding yards which faced devastation six years ago.

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, launched Daring at a ceremony at the shipyard in Scotstoun which was also attended by the Defence Secretary, John Reid.

HMS Daring slid into the water and was manouevred into place by three tugs, who guided her a few hundred yards down river to a dry dock where the finishing touches will be carried out, including the fitting of her guns.

The second and third ships in the six-ship order - HMS Dauntless, Diamond, Defender, Dragon and Duncan - are already being built. BAE Systems hopes the order will be extended to eight. The contract will keep about 3,000 workers employed until the end of the decade at Scotstoun and its sister yard Govan, across the river.

With a price tag of £605 million, the 150-metre long vessels will be the most powerful, advanced and deadly warships in the world when they come into service in 2009.

Among the battery of state-of-the-art equipment is a new Principal Anti-Air Missile System, which can trace and destroy hostile objects as small a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound. Its range is effective over a radius of several hundred miles.

Her PAAMS air defence missiles are the size of a public phone boxes, weigh
two thirds as much as a small car and from launch accelerate to a speed twice
that of Concorde in under 10 seconds.

The Defence Secretary said the launch was a proud day for the Royal Navy. "It’s a huge boost for the Royal Navy because this is the most capable, most powerful destroyer ever built in the UK," he said.

"Six years ago a lot of people had written them [the Clyde dockyards] off but not the workforce, not the new management and if I might say so not the then Secretary of State for Scotland [John Reid] either."

The main sections of Daring were built at Scotstoun, with the bow built by VT Group (formerly Vosper Thorneycroft) at Portsmouth and transported by barge to the Clyde. The ship was entirely designed on computer before the various modules were built and assembled in a dry berth.

HMS Daring's 230-strong crew should be happy too. She and her sisters will be the first "gender-neutral" warships to enter Royal Navy service, and the Hotel Facilities, as the living quarters are known, are the most opulent ever fitted in a British warship. Mess decks are replaced by individual cabins, each with their own I-pod charging points, CD player, internet access, five channel recreational audio and larger berths.

Reminds me of my friend in the Naval Reserves who got called up for 1 year in Hawaii, what a bum deal

 

[captainpolution]

deammmm

lucky brits

 

[maxyedor]

Bloody Brits! don't they know warships are suposed to be painted red inside so you can't see the blood? There is no place for the ipod in battle! yarr:evil:

 

[DaveW]

For a closed system like a warship crew, morale has to be carefully managed. Small touches like Ipod recharging stations would work well with the crew given that the average age is quite young.

 

[valve bouncer]

Single quarters? Well I guess that spells the end to at least one tradition of the British Navy.

 

[steve45]

HMS Daring's 230-strong crew should be happy too. She and her sisters will be the first "gender-neutral" warships to enter Royal Navy service, and the Hotel Facilities, as the living quarters are known, are the most opulent ever fitted in a British warship. Mess decks are replaced by individual cabins, each with their own I-pod charging points, CD player, internet access, five channel recreational audio and larger berths.

right where do i sign up?

but i have been considering seeing if the armed forces would take my sorry ass for a while now, navy aint really that appealing though.

 

[fluff]

Single quarters? Well I guess that spells the end to at least one tradition of the British Navy.

Ah, but the cabin boy is still called Roger.

 

[Reactor]

And the british ships have pubs on board Add that to single quarters, and gender neutral warships, and someone better be stocking up on the morning after pills.

 

[syadasti]

And the british ships have pubs on board Add that to single quarters, and gender neutral warships, and someone better be stocking up on the morning after pills.

Whats the US Navy's plan to one-up them? Hot tubs and saunas

 

[Reactor]

Whats the US Navy's plan to one-up them? Hot tubs and saunas

Only in O-country.

 

[Echo]

Funny thing is, this will accomplish exactly what they want. Thousands of kids will join the Navy to get on this awesome ship and plug in their ipods. Too bad 99% of them will never see any of the new ships.

 

[valve bouncer]

Ah, but the cabin boy is still called Roger.

Hehe....Do you think Seaman Staines will still be aboard? An urban myth but still funny..

 

[Changleen]

Among the battery of state-of-the-art equipment is a new Principal Anti-Air Missile System, which can trace and destroy hostile objects as small a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound. Its range is effective over a radius of several hundred miles.

Dayyyymmmmnnnn!!!

You guys need some help with that star-wars sh1t still?

 

[dan-o]

Dayyyymmmmnnnn!!!

You guys need some help with that star-wars sh1t still?

We'll ask for your help when you can defeat the Falkland Islands.

 

[syadasti]

We'll ask for your help when you can defeat the Falkland Islands.

I bet the surround sound stereo will help the next time around

 

[dan-o]

I bet the surround sound stereo will help the next time around

Cue Boy George, _Do you really want to hurt me_.

 

[Changleen]

We'll ask for your help when you can defeat the Falkland Islands.

Uh, They're ours. Why do we need to defeat them? Some country tried to take them from us a while back, and we pretty much embarrased them in front of the world.

 

[syadasti]

Uh, They're ours. Why do we need to defeat them? Some country tried to take them from us a while back, and we pretty much embarrased them in front of the world.

Look again, some old fighters embrassed some expensive new British defense systems back then. They didn't win the war, but still...

 

[Changleen]

Yeah, They sunk one ship if I remember rightly, but we kicked their entire country's ass with an expeditionary force. That was back in the day when wars were proper.

 

[syadasti]

Yeah, They sunk one ship if I remember rightly, but we kicked their entire country's ass with an expeditionary force. That was back in the day when wars were proper.

Well crushing a bug isn't that hard, is it?

 

[dan-o]

Beware the Gaucho....

 

[PonySoldier]

Yeah, They sunk one ship if I remember rightly, but we kicked their entire country's ass with an expeditionary force. That was back in the day when wars were proper.

I believe Keith Richards commentary was "We gave the Argies a good bashin' "

 

[Changleen]

I think that was the beginning of the phrase 'a bit of Argie bargie' meaning a bit of a ruckus.

 

[DaveW]

Well crushing a bug isn't that hard, is it?

Well at least they (brits) were honnest about why they went to war and didn't hang around doing collective punishment for kicks afterwards.

or are you just upset that they chose Ipods not I-river charging stations?

 

[fluff]

We'll ask for your help when you can defeat the Falkland Islands.

That has to be the least thought-out post here in a while....

As Changleen has already pointed out one flaw, I'll point out the other; why are the British in Iraq and Afghanistan?

 

[fluff]

I believe Keith Richards commentary was "We gave the Argies a good bashin' "

One of his more coherent moments. That well known political commentater and herion addict.

 

[dan-o]

That has to be the least thought-out post here in a while....

As Changleen has already pointed out one flaw, I'll point out the other; why are the British in Iraq and Afghanistan?

I'm sorry my tongue in cheek jab at Chang didn't pass your standards for internet forums. I shouldn't have doubted Britains claim to one of its few remaining colonies.

As for why the UK is in Iraq, I imagine it's for the same reason the US is there: oil.

 

[fluff]

I'm sorry my tongue in cheek jab at Chang didn't pass your standards for internet forums. I shouldn't have doubted Britains claim to one of its few remaining colonies.

As for why the UK is in Iraq, I imagine it's for the same reason the US is there: oil.

From the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4079229.stm
quote:

Black Watch battle group, about 850 troops and support personnel, were controversially re-deployed to Camp Dogwood in central Iraq after the US asked for assistance to free up its own troops for an assault on Falluja.

_________________________________________________

Seems like you asked after all...

 

[dan-o]

Again, my initial post to Chang was tongue in cheek....

Re: your link you may note that the UK wasn't asked to actually fight in the battle for Falluja but rather to watch a US base.

Do you really think the 9,000 UK troops (with ~100 deaths to date) are making a significant military difference? I'm not suggesting they can't/won't fight but the small numbers and posting in a relatively tame region of Iraq suggests to me that they are a token force depolyed for political (oil, regional influence, Blair kissing up) rather than military reasons.

 

[fluff]

Again, my initial post to Chang was tongue in cheek....

Fair enough, but you keep biting.

Re: your link you may note that the UK wasn't asked to actually fight in the battle for Falluja but rather to watch a US base.

Do you really think the 9,000 UK troops (with ~100 deaths to date) are making a significant military difference? I'm not suggesting they can't/won't fight but the small numbers and posting in a relatively tame region of Iraq suggests to me that they are a token force depolyed for political (oil, regional influence, Blair kissing up) rather than military reasons.

So you didn't want our help after all? Ingrate.

 

[valve bouncer]

Again, my initial post to Chang was tongue in cheek....

Re: your link you may note that the UK wasn't asked to actually fight in the battle for Falluja but rather to watch a US base.

Do you really think the 9,000 UK troops (with ~100 deaths to date) are making a significant military difference? I'm not suggesting they can't/won't fight but the small numbers and posting in a relatively tame region of Iraq suggests to me that they are a token force depolyed for political (oil, regional influence, Blair kissing up) rather than military reasons.

Some might say that if the Brits and the Aussies had have played a bigger role then the whole situation might not be as much of a f*ck-up as it is now.

 

[Westy]

Some might say that if the Brits and the Aussies had have played a bigger role then the whole situation might not be as much of a f*ck-up as it is now.

It's the accents, people can't help but to laugh when they hear it. Mate.

 

[fluff]

Some might say that if the Brits and the Aussies had have played a bigger role then the whole situation might not be as much of a f*ck-up as it is now.

See, what you don't realise is that the US military are just messing with the Iraqis. It's all tongue in cheek you know.

 

[valve bouncer]

It's the accents, people can't help but to laugh when they hear it. Mate.

Whaddyabloodwelltalkinabout...we haven't got accents, it's you wankers who've got the accents.

 

[fluff]

Whaddyabloodwelltalkinabout...we haven't got accents, it's you wankers who've got the accents.

We????

 

[valve bouncer]

We????

Me and Partsy....can never understand what you Poms are yabberin' on about.

 

[fluff]

Me and Partsy....can never understand what you Poms are yabberin' on about.

I don't understand why you're laying your comprehension problem on me?

 

[valve bouncer]

I don't understand why you're laying your comprehension problem on me?

Where's that bunny with the pancakes on it's head. Bloody Poms.

 

[Westy]

Whaddyabloodwelltalkinabout...we haven't got accents, it's you wankers who've got the accents.

That may have been true at one point mate. But we are in charge now, you will be assimilated.

Cheers.

 

[DaveW]

Me and Partsy....can never understand what you Poms are yabberin' on about.

Ahh maybe that's it....... Your ancestors got booted outta pommie land because of the language comprehension problems!
They just didn't understand when someone said to them "OI Stop nicking me stuff old chap"