How Many Type 45 Destroyers Does The UK Navy Have In Its Fleet & What Are The Ships' Capabilities?

In June 2025, the British Royal Navy dispatched a fleet of warships and helicopters to track a Russian vessel as it transited the English Channel and North Sea. One of the vessels sent to monitor the Russian ship was the HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, one of the fleet's most powerful and versatile vessels. They first entered service in July 2009, when Britain's HMS Daring (wonder why British ships have HMS in their names) was commissioned, and each successive vessel has been dubbed a Daring-class ship.

A total of six Type 45 warships have been commissioned into the fleet, replacing the previously used Type 42 Sheffield-class guided missile destroyers. As of this publication, that's all that will be produced. The British Royal Navy decreased its initial order of 12 down to eight ships, and then finally, six due to a reduced threat they were intended to counter. They aren't inexpensive either, as each Type 45 guided-missile destroyer costs the U.K. around $1 billion to produce and operating them isn't cheap either, as they cost an average of $171,864 every day to operate.

While expensive, they're worth it to the British Royal Navy, as the Type 45 destroyer is one of the most powerful destroyers in the world as well as one of the most advanced warships the service has ever built and operated. They're primarily designed for anti-missile and anti-aircraft operations via their Sea Viper air defense system, advanced targeting long-range radars, and considerable defensive firepower, which makes them one of the most important vessels in the fleet. The plan is to continue operating the existing six vessels until their projected retirement in 2038.

Type 45 destroyers are built to fight, and they come to the table with an array of weapon systems to combat nearly every airborne threat imaginable. Granted, they probably can't shoot down ICBMs, as this is incredibly difficult, but anything from a fighter jet to a drone or anti-ship missile is fair game. To do so, the destroyers are armed with the Sea Viper Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS). The PAAMS has the capability to track, target, and engage high-level airborne threats.

Each system can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds while also guiding up to 16 missiles capable of striking targets more than 70 miles away. The PAAMS is the Type 45's primary weapon system, but it has more packed inside, including two Phalanx 20mm close-in weapons system, the BAE Systems 4.5-inch Mark 8 Mode 1 naval gun system, two 30mm DSM Mark 2 automated small caliber guns, two 7.62mm miniguns, and up to six FN MAG machine guns.

The vessel's advanced radar system is the Sampson multifunctional radar, which is able to detect both air and surface targets within a 250-mile radius of the ship. Once a target is selected, the information is sent to the PAAMS for potential launch. The ship also boasts a flight deck for helicopters and plenty of space for the crew to operate for extended deployments. The Type 45 destroyer displaces 8,232 tons of seawater, measures 466 feet in length, can travel up to 34.5 mph, and has a range of 8,055 miles.