HMS Dauntless is pictured entering Portsmouth in August 2011.

Britain’s six Type 45 destroyers are the most advanced warships the nation has ever built. Their mission is to shield the Fleet from air attack using the Sea Viper missile which can knock targets out of the sky up to 70 miles away if necessary. The Type 45s can also be used as general-purpose warships; they have huge flight decks to accommodate helicopters up to the size of a Chinook. There’s enough space on board to host a Royal Marines detachment up to 60-men strong. As for the ship’s company, they enjoy ‘creature comforts’ only dreamed of by their forebears: no sailor lives in a mess square for more than six people and there are no communal heads (toilets) or showers. All Type 45s will be based in Portsmouth and will serve until around 2040. This image is available for high resolution download at www.defenceimages.mod.uk subject to the terms and conditions of the Open Government License at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/. Search for image number 45153565.jpg

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