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2011 Jun 16 HMS York switches oceans as she begins home voyage

Jun 19, 2011 HMS York

Crew members of HMS York enjoy the sunset in Patagonia [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2011

HMS York is on the last leg of her five-month deployment to the southern oceans after passing through the world’s greatest man-made waterway.

The bulk of her deployment has been around the Falklands, but before heading home Britain’s fastest destroyer warship shifted oceans to the Pacific. Her first challenge was a safe transit of the Magellan Strait and Patagonia Canal taking her from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

With two Chilean Naval pilots embarked for two-and-a-half days of ‘interesting’ and ‘challenging’ navigation, York’s Navigator Lieutenant Tim Langford put his extensive planning into practice with extra sailors ‘closed up’ or posted for the entire passage to critical areas around the ship – the bridge, cable party and steering gear compartment.

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2006 HMS Daring is the lead ship of the Type 45 or ‘D’ Class of air defence destroyer in the Royal Navy

May 25, 2011 Daring Class, HMS Daring

HMS Daring on sea trials.

HMS Daring is the lead ship of the Type 45 or ‘D’ Class of air defence destroyer in the Royal Navy and the seventh ship to hold that name.

She was launched in 2006 on the Clyde and conducted contractor’s sea trials during 2007 and 2008. She was handed over to the Royal Navy in December 2008, entered her base port of Portsmouth for the first time in January 2009 and was formally commissioned on 23 July 2009. As the lead ship of the first destroyer class built for the Royal Navy since the Type 42 in the 1970s, she has attracted significant media and public interest. The price tag of approximately £6.6 billion for the six ships represents a significant investment into the future needs of the Royal Navy.

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