Dragon roaring to life (new British warship)

Not for any of that Guy Fawkes malarkey, but if you can cast your minds back two months it was the day when HMS Dragon first put to sea.

The ship has now resumed fitting out and tests on the Clyde at Scotstoun with the engineers and ship’s company more than pleased with her performance on her first stint of sea trials.

Indeed, the ship surpassed the 29kts top speed expected of her when the class was ordered a decade ago.

She ‘throttled up’ to reach 32 knots (37 mph) – although it doesn’t make Dragon the fastest destroyer as veteran HMS York can manage nearly 35kts After reaching full whack, the Type 45 then applied the ‘handbrake’ and came to a stop in a little over 800 yards – less than half a mile.

After that it was time for the 45’s party piece, heeling over 12° to carve a figure of eight in the relatively sheltered waters of the Firth of Clyde.

Thanks to the trail blazed by her three older sisters, Dragon put to sea with far fewer technical issues, improved software, tweaked machinery – and with her mixed RN/BAE ship’s company aware of what the 45s can and cannot do.

The first fortnight at sea was used to test the basics – engines, rudder, comms, ‘hotel services’ – galley, fresh water production, sewage treatment – before moving away from the relatively sheltered waters off Arran and Kintyre to flash up her weapons systems.

For that she had to make for the ranges off Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, never the warmest place in the British Isles, and positively (or should that be negatively...) Siberian when Dragon arrived.

Time to warm things up with some fire – the main 4.5in gun followed by the 30mm cannons and finally the machine-guns.

Dragon’s Sampson radar was also fired up off the Benbecula range – it was here that Dauntless fired the Sea Viper missile for the first time a couple of months earlier – and the ops room team found themselves tracking aircraft a ranges in excess of 200 miles, namely planes approaching Aberdeen, Glasgow and Belfast airports.

The electro-optic sights and laser range finders were tested to assess Dragon’s ability to engage targets at close range.

“I’ve been associated with the development of various parts of the Type 45’s combat system for the past 15 years – it’s very rewarding to see it coming to life onboard Dragon before my eyes,” said Cdr Peter Frankham, the ship’s weapon engineer officer.

There was also time to begin engendering Dragon’s soul with some sport – volleyball, table tennis (!), bucket ball (basketball with a bucket, not a basket) and non-stop cricket in the ‘Millennium Stadium’ (aka hangar) – regular circuit training and a one-kilometre sponsored row.

The latter was the healthy side of fundraising for the Erskine House charity which provides care for veterans; the less healthy side came courtesy of sales from Drago’s Snacks, the destroyer’s tuck shop.

And evidently quite a lot of chocolate was munched because in all ?1,800 was raised for the charity during Dragon’s four-week stint at sea.

The adverse winter weather (you might have seen a bit about it in the media...) put the kibosh on a day at sea for VIPs, but it didn’t stop Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox joining Dragon to witness progress with the Type 45 programme, cross-decking from ballistic missile submarine HMS Vanguard as she returned from a deterrent patrol.

And that’s just about it for now, although it won’t be long (April 2011) before D35 is back at sea. Between now and then there’s quite a lot of work to be carried out on her combat systems.

If the second spell of sea trials and final work on the ship go according to plan, Dragon will be handed over to the RN in September, by which time the fifth ship in the programme, Defender, should be ready for trials.

The sixth and final Type 45, HMS Duncan, is in the early stages of fitting out following her launch in October. She’s not due to put to sea until 2012.

2 posted on 01/08/2011 8:33:09 AM PST by null and void (We are now in day 718 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)

>>She ‘throttled up’ to reach 32 knots (37 mph) – although it doesn’t make Dragon the fastest destroyer as veteran HMS York can manage nearly 35kts After reaching full whack, the Type 45 then applied the ‘handbrake’ and came to a stop in a little over 800 yards – less than half a mile.<<

Big deal! In 1961, USS Princeton came out of FRAM II some 10,000 tons lighter than she went in (2-twin 5”, 2 single 5” port & starboard gun tubs, arresting gear all removed). Part of the qualifications required a 31 degree turn (34 and she rolls over)a 33 knot speed run and a crash stop in less than a mile. Mission accomplished!

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