Fears a proud day on the Clyde may be the last for a long time

THE children wore eye patches and replica 18th century admiral caps, while the parents wore expressions of pride and concern. Pride in the launch of HMS Duncan, the sixth and final Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer to be built at BAE Systems in Govan, and concern that it was not just the ship passing before their eyes, but shipbuilding on the Clyde.

• The crowds cheered and fireworks exploded as HMS Duncan, a Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer, was launched at Govan yesterday

If the government's spending review is to trigger storm clouds for BAE Systems they haven't arrived yet as the final Destroyer in a 6 billion contract slipped into the Clyde under brilliant blue skies and to a cacophony of fireworks. Thousands of people yesterday gathered by the river to see the launch of the latest Royal Navy destroyer.

The 7,500-tonne Type 45 vessel is the sixth ship of its kind to be made for the Royal Navy and is expected to enter service in 2014. The "world class" warship is named after Admiral Adam Duncan and was launched on the anniversary of his defeat of a Dutch fleet off Camperdown, to the north of Haarlem, on 11 October 1797.

HMS Duncan was launched by Marie Ibbotson, wife of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet Vice Admiral Richard Ibbotson.

The launch was watched by a crowd of 14,000 people in Govan, including Defence Minister Peter Luff. He said: "The launch of Duncan is the culmination of a huge effort by workers here on the Clyde, British subcontractors across the country, and staff in the MoD. They have built potent warships of which everyone involved can be very proud.

"Today is another significant milestone in the delivery of a truly world-class defence capability to the Royal Navy."

Among the spectators was Alistair Paterson, a civil engineer, who had brought along his wife and two young sons to watch what he feared could be the last ship to be launched on the Clyde. While BAE systems in Govan continue to manufacture parts of two new Royal Naval aircraft carriers, the fate of the contract hangs in the balance until after the spending review, with any future launch taking place at Rosyth.

As Mr Paterson said: "It might be the last launch on the Clyde and that was why I wanted to make sure the whole family was here to see it."

Alan Johnston, managing director of BAE Systems' Surface Ships Division, said the launch would be "the last such event for a number of years" but later added that he hoped to begin work on future frigates, the Type 26, in 2014/15. In a warning to the government, he insisted that the immense and critical skills of employees were "a precious national asset and capability that - if lost - will not be easily replaced".

The 7,500-tonne HMS Duncan was built by BAE Systems using 2,800 tonnes of steel and is covered with 40 tonnes of paint.HMS Duncan is affiliated to Dundee and Belfast and completes the class of six Type 45 destroyer along with Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon and Defender.

BAE Systems is over half way through the programme to deliver all six ships to the Royal Navy by the end of 2013. The first of class, HMS Daring, entered service on 31 July and is currently on her first operational deployment, while HMS Dauntless, the second of class, was handed over to the Royal Navy last December and commissioned into service in June. The third ship, Diamond, was handed over only three weeks ago and is preparing for stage two sea trials with the Royal Navy. The fourth ship, Dragon, will undertake her first sea trials next month.