HMS Diamond (D34)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Diamond.
Diamond during Exercise Joint Warrior near Scotland, April 2013
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Diamond
Ordered: December 2000
Builder: BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
Yard number: 1063[1]
Laid down: 25 February 2005
Launched: 27 November 2007
Sponsored by: Lady Johns
Commissioned: 6 May 2011[2]
Identification:
Motto:
  • Honor clarissima gemma
  • ("Honour is the brightest jewel")
Status: In active service, as of 2014
Badge:
General characteristics
Type: Guided missile destroyer
Displacement: 8,000 t (7,900 long tons; 8,800 short tons)[6]
Length: 152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam: 21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: In excess of 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph)[8]
Range: 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement: 190
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
Aircraft carried:
Aviation facilities:
  • Large flight deck
  • Enclosed hangar

HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port on 22 September 2010. Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011, and formally entered service on 12 July 2011.[13][14]

Operational history

Diamond's construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships yard at Govan on the River Clyde in February 2005. She was launched on 27 November 2007.[15] By July 2010, Diamond had been fully fitted out and finished her contractors' sea trials (stage 1 trials). She arrived in her base port of HMNB Portsmouth on 22 September 2010.[16]

HMS Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011 in her home port of Portsmouth. The ceremony was attended by the ship's sponsor and the Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Sir Trevor Soar.[17] Diamond continued undergoing sea trials until she entered operational service in July 2011 after the completion of her trials. The ship will conduct operational training before commencing her first overseas deployment.[14] Diamond is expected to commence deployment in the summer of 2012,[18] starting with celebrations to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.[19]

Recent service

Diamond was in the Middle East Area of Operations in 2012 and will be fully ready for operations in 2014.[20] During Operation Recsyr in February 2014 she escorted MV Ark Futura carrying chemical agents from Syria.

Characteristics

Advanced air-defence

Further information: PAAMS, SAMPSON, S1850M and Aster (missile family)

The Type 45 destroyers are primarily designed for anti-air warfare with the capability to defend against sophisticated targets such as fighter aircraft, drones as well as highly maneuverable sea skimming anti-ship missiles travelling at supersonic speeds.[21] The Royal Navy describes the destroyers' mission as being "to shield the Fleet from air attack".[6] The Type 45 destroyer is equipped with the sophisticated Sea Viper (PAAMS) air-defence system utilizing the SAMPSON active electronically scanned array multi-function radar and the S1850M long-range radar. The PAAMS system is able to track over 2,000 targets and simultaneously control and coordinate multiple missiles in the air at once, allowing a large number of tracks to be intercepted and destroyed at any given time. This makes the PAAMS system particularly difficult to swamp during a saturation attack, even against supersonic targets.[22] The USNWC has suggested that the SAMPSON radar is capable of tracking 1,000 objects the size of a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound (Mach 3), emphasising the system's capabilities against high performance stealth targets.[21] A core component of the PAAMS air-defence system is the Aster missile, composing of the Aster 15 and Aster 30. MBDA describe Aster as a "hit-to-kill" anti-missile missile capable of intercepting all types of high performance air threats at a maximum range of 120 km.[23] The Aster missile is autonomously guided and equipped with an active RF seeker enabling it to cope with "saturated attacks" thanks to a "multiple engagement capability" and a "high rate of fire".[23] Presently the Daring-class destroyers are equipped with a 48-cell A50 Sylver Vertical Launching System allowing for a mix of up-to 48 Aster 15 and 30 missiles.

Weapons, countermeasures, capabilities and sensors

Diamond became the second ship of the class to receive Harpoon anti-ship missiles on 23 March 2015.[24]

Affiliations

HMS Diamond under final assembly at the BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions shipyard at Govan.

Ship's sponsor:

Official affiliations:

Grampian District Sea Cadets

As part of her affiliation with Coventry, Diamond will carry a cross of nails created from the remains of Coventry Cathedral. At the end of the Second World War a cross of nails was created out of the wreckage and has been presented to all ships that carry the name Coventry. It was recovered from the wreck of HMS Coventry by divers after she was sunk in the Falklands War and presented to the crew of Diamond on her commissioning by Captain David Hart-Dyke, the commanding officer of Coventry at the time of her sinking.[13]

The City of Sheffield was offered affiliation to Diamond, but this was turned down by Sheffield City Council and the Lord Mayor, who want the city associated with another HMS Sheffield.[26] The affiliation has now been transferred to the City of Coventry.[27][28]

Footnotes

Notes
  1. ↑ The Harpoon missile is to be fitted to four of the six ships. HMS Duncan is to be the first.[11]
References
  1. ↑ "HMS Diamond". Clyde-built Ship Database. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "HMS Diamond to join fleet". The News. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  3. ↑ "Doff your caps to Diamond". Navy News. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "Call Sign Book" (PDF). Combined Communication Electronics Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  5. ↑ "World Shipping Register - Ship Index". Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Type 45 Destroyer". Royal Navy. 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "HMS Daring". Wärtsilä. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  8. ↑ MacDermid, Alan (15 August 2007). "Daring is mean, green and built for speed". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Raytheon Systems Limited awarded further contract for Integrated Navigation System shipsets for the Type 45" (PDF). 8 March 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  10. ↑ "Jane's Electro-Optic Systems". 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  11. ↑ Royal Navy - HMS Duncan, royalnavy.mod.uk
  12. ↑ "Air Defence Destroyer (T45)". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2007.
  13. 1 2 "Navy’s newest ship will carry a poignant reminder of the past". Portsmouth News. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  14. 1 2 "HMS Diamond enters service". Ministry of Defence. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Destroyer launches on Clyde". BBC. 27 November 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
  16. ↑ "Diamond Enters Portsmouth Naval Base for First Time". Royal Navy. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  17. ↑ "HMS Diamond welcomed in Portsmouth with ceremony". BBC News (BBC). 6 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  18. ↑ "HMS Diamond". Royal Navy. 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "HMS Diamond marks Jubilee with Portsmouth celebrations". BBC News. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "HMS Diamond arrives ready for training". Royal Navy. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  21. 1 2 Lombardi, Ben; Rudd, David. "The Type 45 Daring-Class Destroyer". U.S. Naval War College. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  22. ↑ Beedall, Richard. "PAAMS - Principal Anti Air Missile System". Navy Matters. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  23. 1 2 "Aster Anti-Missile Missile" (PDF). MBDA. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  24. ↑ "HMS Diamond crew back on board after refit". Royal Navy. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "HMS Diamond Affiliations". Royal Navy. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Give us our HMS Sheffield". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  27. ↑ "Agenda of Meeting of Sheffield City Council, Wed 6 June 2007 (Article 10)". Sheffield City Council. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  28. ↑ "Navy broadside for city ship bid". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 11 March 2009.

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