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Guided missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35)‎

Guided missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35)‎ 0Guided missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35)‎ 1Guided missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35)‎ 2Guided missile destroyer HMS Dragon (D35)‎ 3

Classification

Ship class:
Daring-class destroyer (Type 45 destroyer)
Type:
Guided missile destroyer

Basic information

Operator:
Royal NavyRoyal Navy
Country of build:
Builder:
BAE Systems Surface Ships
Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:
Commissioned (service):
Status:
Active

Ship measurements

Displacement:
8,500 t
Length:
152.4 m
Beam:
21.2 m
Draft:
7.4 m

Machine

Propulsion:
  • 2 * Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each
  • 2 * Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators, 2 MW (2,700 shp) each
  • 2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with
  • 2 * Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed:
30 knots
Range:
7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)

Personnel

Complement:
191

Combat assets

Electronics:
  • SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045)
  • S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046)
  • Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System
  • 2 * Raytheon AHRS INS (MINS 2)
  • 2 * Raytheon I-band Radar (Type 1047)
  • 1 * Raytheon E/F-band Radar (Type 1048)
  • Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)
  • Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system
  • Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
  • UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)
  • AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system
  • Seagnat
  • Naval Decoy IDS300
  • Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament:
  • Sea Viper air defence system with a 48-cell Sylver Vertical Launching System for a mix of Aster 15 short range and Aster 30 long range missiles
  • Up to 2 * quad Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers
  • 1 * BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun
  • 2 * Oerlikon 30 mm guns
  • 2 * 20mm Phalanx CIWS
  • 2 * Miniguns
  • 6 * 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Guns
Aircraft:
  • 1–2 * Lynx Wildcat, armed with:
  • 4 * anti ship missiles, or
  • 2 * anti submarine torpedoes or
  • 1 * Westland Merlin, armed with:
  • 4 * anti-submarine torpedoes

HMS Dragon is the fourth ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in November 2008 and commissioned on 20 April 2012.

Dragon's construction began at the then BAE Systems Naval Ships (later BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions) yard at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in December 2005, and by December 2007 the bow section was in place on the Govan slipway for mating with the other modules. Dragon launched from the slipway at Govan on 17 November 2008 at 3:00pm. Her sponsor was Mrs Susie Boissier, wife of Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Chief of Staff. She was fitted out at Scotstoun.

Dragon features a red Welsh Dragon on each side of her bow, the only Royal Navy ship to be adorned in this way. The dragons were there when she was launched, but were removed in a 2011 refit. They were restored in 2016 following a fundraising campaign led by the British Warships Association.

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