Navy greets Clyde-built destroyer with special 'christening'

Published on 03/06/2010 22:10

A CLYDE-BUILT destroyer was welcomed into the Royal Navy fleet at a special "christening" ceremony held yesterday.

HMS Dauntless, the second of the Royal Navy's new Type 45 destroyers, was formally commissioned into service at Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire.

Hundreds of guests, including families of the 190 crew members, attended the service with principal guests including Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Sir Trevor Soar.

Lady Mary Burnell-Nugent, the ship's sponsor who launched the ship at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard in Glasgow in January 2007, also inspected some of the crew on parade.

The band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, Collingwood, provided musical accompaniment for the hour-long ceremony.

Commanding officer Captain Richard Powell read the commissioning warrant and the ceremony was rounded off in traditional Royal Navy fashion with the cutting of a cake.

Performing the honour were the CO's wife, Carolyn, and Engineering Technician Robert Clough, 17, who is the youngest member of the ship's company.

Capt Powell said: "The Type 45 destroyer represents the cutting edge of air defence and propulsion technology and reflects the excellence of British manufacturing expertise delivering real operational capability.

"The ship is able to deal not only with today's threats but most importantly tomorrow's and will be a key element of the 21st century Royal Navy."

Dauntless is the second of six Type 45 destroyers being built for the Royal Navy, all of which will be based in Portsmouth.

The first, HMS Daring, was commissioned last July and the third, HMS Diamond, will make its first entry into Portsmouth by the end of the year.

All six are scheduled to be in service by the middle of the decade.