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United Kingdom BAE Systems
Type 45 Daring
Royal Navy air-defense destroyer built around the Sea Viper (PAAMS) missile system and SAMPSON multi-function radar, designed to protect carrier and amphibious task groups from aircraft and missile threats. Six ships of the class were built by BAE Systems.
In service since 2009 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
8,500
t
29
kn
7,000
nmi
48
VLS
191
crew
💲 ≈ $1,200,000,000, Approximate build cost per ship
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
UK export-licensed
Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.
Channel: Government-to-government or direct
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2009. Status: active · ~6 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$3.0B – $4.2B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Type 45 Daring can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 1× 4.5 in Mark 8 naval gun |
|---|---|
| VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship, a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming. | 48 |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 152.4 m |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | SAMPSON multi-function AESA radar |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | S1850M long-range radar, Sea Viper (PAAMS) combat system |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $1,200,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 6 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Type 45 Daring vs
Sachsen-class 
Type 055 
Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer 
Maya-class 
Sejong the Great-class destroyer 
Kirov-class Frequently asked questions
What is the main armament of the BAE Systems Type 45 Daring? +
The BAE Systems Type 45 Daring's primary weapon is the 1× 4.5 in Mark 8 naval gun.
What is the BAE Systems Type 45 Daring used for? +
The BAE Systems Type 45 Daring is a warship typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the BAE Systems Type 45 Daring? +
The BAE Systems Type 45 Daring is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the BAE Systems Type 45 Daring cost? +
The BAE Systems Type 45 Daring has an approximate unit cost of 1,200,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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