HMS Daring passes 3,000 days out of service
HMS Daring has been at anchor first at Cammell Laird, then Portsmouth (Source: Royal Navy)
The destroyer HMS Daring has now been out of service for more than 3,000 days, longer than the 2,307 days it took to build and commission her.
Laid down in 2003, launched in 2006 and commissioned in 2009, the vessel was withdrawn from the fleet in April 2017 for the Power Improvement Project (PIP) and a major refit at Cammell Laird. The work replaced its original diesel generators with three larger units to resolve reliability problems in warm climates, while combining deep machinery modifications with wider refurbishment.
The refit concluded in late 2022, and the ship returned to Portsmouth the following year for regeneration: systems testing, recertification and crew training. Then-Defence Minister James Cartlidge confirmed in May 2023 that PIP work on Daring and HMS Dauntless was complete. Dauntless has since returned to active service, while Daring has remained alongside.
Defence sources indicate crewing is now under way, with sea trials expected in late 2025 or early 2026. If achieved, this would mark the ship’s first time at sea in more than eight years.
The other four Type 45 destroyers are at various stages of the same programme, which is due to complete across the class by 2028.
