HMS Dauntless

Not to be confused with the 3 sloops or HMS Dauntless (D45)

## HMS Dauntless (D33)

HMS Dauntless

**HMS *Dauntless*** is the second ship of the Type 45 or *Daring*-class air-defense destroyers built for the British Royal Navy. She was launched at Govan in January 2007, was handed over to the Royal Navy on 3 December 2009 and was formally commissioned on 3 June 2010.

### Career

*Dauntless* was commissioned on 3 June 2010 in the presence of her sponsor. The MoD confirmed on 1 October 2010 that she had completed the first Sea Viper firing on a Hebridean firing range earlier in the week, and the ship was accepted into service on 16 November the same year.

In May 2011, *Dauntless* took part in Exercise Saxon Warrior in the Western Approaches, culminating in a so-called 'Thursday War'.

In June 2011, *Dauntless* sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Norfolk, Virginia, to take part in the FRUKUS war game exercises between Russia, France, the United States and the United Kingdom. En route in the Atlantic she rendezvoused and conducted maneuvers with the Russian destroyer *Admiral Chabanenko*, which was also heading for the FRUKUS exercises, conducting cross helicopter exercises which saw *Dauntless*' two Lynx helicopters land on the *Admiral Chabanenko*. The deployment was the first time that two Lynxes had been deployed aboard a Type 45 destroyer.

In September 2011, *Dauntless* was the first of the Type 45 destroyers to visit London. She sailed up the Thames and berthed opposite London City Airport for the Defence and Security Equipment International event. On 25 November 2011, HMS *Dauntless* hosted Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey.

In January 2012, it was announced that *Dauntless* would deploy to the South Atlantic to replace HMS *Montrose* which was stationed around the Falkland Islands. The deployment was condemned by the government of Argentina, which claimed that the deployment represented a "militarization of the South Atlantic", despite the replacement representing only a modest increase in fighting capacity.

Between 2011 and 2012 she was commanded by Captain William Warrender.

In 2015, *Dauntless* re-sailed for the Middle East after a short delay, with a plan to take part in the centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign. She conducted anti-piracy patrols, as well as provide escort to United States Navy aircraft carrier USS *Carl Vinson* (CVN-70) which is involved in airstrikes against ISIL. In November 2015, she participated with other NATO air defense ships in an "At Sea Demonstration", focusing on anti-ballistic missile warfare.

In April 2016, *The Independent* stated that the vessel had been relegated to use as a training ship due to manpower and technical shortages, although this was disputed by the MOD at the time. Her status as an engineering training ship pending entering refit was confirmed in June 2016.

In 2019 *Dauntless* underwent a regeneration refit in Portsmouth before sailing to Birkenhead in May 2020 as the first Type 45 to have new generators fitted under the Power Improvement Project. She left the shipyard on 14 June 2022 upon completion of the refit and put to sea for the first time in two years.

In June 2023, the destroyer deployed to the Caribbean for up to four months, taking over guardship duties there from HMS Medway which had temporarily deployed to the South Atlantic. In September, the destroyer was involved in two operations that seized more than a ton of cocaine from drug smugglers. In September the destroyer also visited the territories of Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands in order to assist local authorities in preparing for the climax of the hurricane season.