I recently came across a posting about the launch of the 4th Type 45 Destroyer-named HMS Dragon. What caught my eye was the painting on both sides of the bow, was a dragon.
Checking out some other websites, HMS Dragon has a 18-meter long Welsh Dragon painted on it's 152 meter length hull when it was launched from BVT shipyard at Govan into the river Clyde on November 17, 2008.
This ship is the fourth of eight planned Type 45 destroyers for the British Royal Navy. This type of vessel is planned as escorts for the new British carrier (yet to be built). The rear flightdeck can operate helicopters up to the size of a Chinook type helicopter. It will normally carry a Lynx or Merlin type helicopter.
It has the latest satellite communication systems and packing the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS). Other missile systems include Surface-toAir (SAM) Sea Vipers. Then smaller Aster 15 and Aster 32 missiles.
As for guns, it has 1 Vickers 4.5 inch and two 20mm Vulcan Phalanx Close-in Weapon systems guns.
Max speed will be about 29 knots and the ship can cruise up to 7000 nautical miles at 18 knots. Crew numbers about 187.
As an added bonus, in my search I came across the Marine Traffic.com website and it showed the current postion of this warship as it was sailing down the Clyde. Pretty cool. In time of war, I hope that the British (or the American) warships are not tracked like this.
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Ref.
1. Armed Forces UK, Navy ( http://www.armedforces.co.uk/navy/listings/l0014.html ).
2. Kincardineshire Observer. "" by . August 27, 2011. ( http://www.kincardineshireobserver.co.uk/news/scottish-headlines/warship_dragon_heads_to_new_home_1_1808760 ).
3. Marine Traffic.com. HMS Dragon ( http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=235053408 ).
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