HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45

Type 45 destroyer

The United Kingdom's Type 45 destroyer is an air defence destroyer programme of the Royal Navy which will replace its Type 42 destroyers. The first ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February 2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009. The ships are now built by BAE Systems Surface Ships...

 or 'D' class of air defence

Anti-aircraft warfare

NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...

 destroyer built for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port on 22 September 2010. Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011, and formally entered service on 12 July 2011.

Design

The Type 45 (or Daring) class is considered to be the most advanced air-defence warship in the world. The ship's capabilities centre on the SAMPSON

SAMPSON

The SAMPSON is a multi-function AESA radar produced by BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies. The SAMPSON multi function radar system is described by BAE Systems as being a world beating air defence system...

 Multi Function Radar, which can detect targets out to a distance of 400 kilometres (216 nmi), and the PAAMS

PAAMS

The Principal Anti Air Missile System is a joint French/Italian/British programme for a naval anti-aircraft weapon. The prime contractor is EUROPAAMS, a joint venture between Eurosam and MBDA subsidiary UKAMS . MBDA also owns 66% of Eurosam, in effect giving it a 77% share of the project...

 missile system.

The Type 45 has frequently been cited by the British press as being the first class of warship to include e-mail and entertainment systems within the messdecks. These reports relate to 230-volt domestic supplies and access to external e-mail, both of which have been common features in most RN vessels for several years.

Construction

Diamonds construction began at the BAE Systems Naval Ships

BAE Systems Naval Ships

BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, based at two shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow and BAE Systems' Filton offices...

 yard at Govan

Govan

Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....

 on the River Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....

 in February 2005. She was launched on 27 November 2007. Diamond finished her contractors' sea trials (stage 1 trials) in July 2010, and arrived in her base port of HMNB Portsmouth

HMNB Portsmouth

Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...

 on 22 September 2010.

Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011 in her homeport of Portsmouth. The ceremony was attended by the ship's sponsor and the Commander-in-Chief Fleet

Commander-in-Chief Fleet

Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...

 Admiral Sir Trevor Soar

Trevor Soar

Admiral Sir Trevor Alan Soar KCB OBE is currently the Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy.-Early life:Soar was born in Belper, and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School. He joined the Royal Navy in 1975, attending BRNC Dartmouth.-Naval career:He commanded the submarines from 1987 to...

.

Career

Diamond entered service in July 2011 after the completion of her trials. The ship will conduct operational training before commencing her first overseas deployment.

Affiliations

Ship's sponsor:

• Lady Johns, wife of Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns
  Adrian Johns
  Vice Admiral Sir Adrian James Johns KCB, CBE, KStJ, ADC is the current Governor of Gibraltar and a former senior officer in the Royal Navy. His most senior naval posting was as Second Sea Lord from 2005 to 2008.-Career:...
  
   KCB, CBE RN

Official affiliations:

• City of Coventry
• City of Aberdeen
• The Worshipful Company of Barbers
  Worshipful Company of Barbers
  The Worshipful Company of Barbers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation's records date as early as 1308, recording Richard le Barber as the first to hold the office of Master....
  
  
• No. 3 Squadron RAF
  No. 3 Squadron RAF
  No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
  
  
• De Beers (UK)
  De Beers
  De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
  
  
• The Lordswood CCF (Combined Cadet Force) Naval Contingent will be affiliated once the ship is completed.

As part of her affiliation with Coventry, Diamond will carry a cross of nails created from the remains of Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....

. At the end of the Second World War a cross of nails was created out of the wreckage and has been presented to all ships that carry the name Coventry. It was recovered from the wreck of by divers after she was sunk in the Falklands War

Falklands War

The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

 and presented to the crew of Diamond on her commissioning by Captain David Hart-Dyke, the commanding officer of Coventry at the time of her sinking.

The City of Sheffield was offered affiliation to Diamond, but this was turned down by Sheffield City Council and the Lord Mayor, who want the city associated with another Sheffield

HMS Sheffield

Three Royal Navy warships have been named HMS Sheffield after the city and county borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.*HMS Sheffield - a Town class light cruiser which saw service in World War II from the Arctic Circle and the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. She was one of the Royal Navy pursuit...

. The affiliation has now been transferred to the City of Coventry.