Type 45s are impressive ships on paper. But Britain is not in any position to handle them given their current, systemic problems.
Britain has struggled for decades in the wake of its victory in the Second World War. Losing its empire has not done London any favors. Virtually overnight, Great Britain went from a country sitting atop an empire to more of a carcass being devoured slowly by corruption, economic stagnation, military decline, and immigration woes.
The British Royal Navy, once the most powerful maritime service in the history of the world, is a shadow of its former self. Sure, it possesses some great systems on paper. In reality, however, Britain cannot maintain these systems.
Take, for example, the Type 45 Destroyer.
The Type 45 Destroyer’s Specs
- Builder: BAE Systems
- Combat Systems Integrators: BAE Systems
- Commissioned into service: July 2009 to September 2013
- Length: 152.4 meters (500 ft)
- Displacement: 7,500 tons
- Top speed: 27 knots (31 mph)
- Range: 7,000 miles
- Propulsion: Integrated Electric Propulsion with two Converteam electric motors (20 MW/27000 shp, each), two Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines (21,5 MW/28800 shp, each), and 2 Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators (2 MW/2700 shp, each)
- Crew: Approximately 190
All About the Type 45 Destroyer
A total of six warships were built—HMS Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender, and Duncan. They were meant to replace the antiquated Type 42 destroyers. Primarily meant for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare, the Type 45s form the core of the Navy’s fleet air defense, protecting aircraft carrier strike groups and amphibious forces from aerial threats.
They are, in fact, the largest escorts ever constructed for the Royal Navy. These boats boast the most cutting-edge capabilities the Royal Navy has to offer. Yet persistent issues with the warships have tempered their effectiveness, raising questions about their overall value in an era of constrained defense budgets.
What sets the Type 45 apart as an exceptional asset is its unparalleled air defense capability. At the heart of these capabilities is the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS). This system is also known as the “Sea Viper” in the British service. PAAMS integrates the SAMPSON active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the S1850M long-range radar, enabling the ship to track over 2,000 targets simultaneously, from stealthy drones to supersonic missiles.
SAMPSON can detect objects as small as a cricket ball traveling at Mach 3. The system controls up to 48 Aster and Aster 30 missiles launched from Sylver vertical launch cells, with ranges of up to 75 miles away. Indeed, one Type 45 can defend against saturated air attacks more effectively than five Type 42s combined, making it a force multiplier in high-threat environments.
Recent operations underscore this strength. For example, in 2023 and 2024, HMS Diamond and HMS Duncan downed Houthi drones and even a ballistic missile in the Red Sea, marking the Navy’s first combat intercept of a ballistic missile since the Gulf War.
The Type 45’s design further enhances its advantages. As the world’s first full-electric propulsion warships, they use an integrated system powered by two Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines and diesel generators, delivering over 40MW to electric motors for speeds exceeding 32 knots (37 miles per hour) and a range of 7,000 nautical miles (8,055 statutory miles). This setup reduces fuel consumption, emissions, and maintenance needs compared to traditional mechanical drives.
Stealth features, such as radar-absorbent materials and concealed deck equipment, lower their detectability. Additionally, they support helicopter operations with hangars for Merlin or Lynx aircraft, enabling anti-submarine warfare (ASW) via torpedoes. They can embark up to 60 Royal Marines for boarding operations.
Upgrades like potential ballistic missile defense (BMD) integration and the addition of 24 Sea Ceptor missiles from 2026 position the Type 45 to better address future threats.
The Type 45 Has Many, Many Shortcomings
Yet, the downsides of the Type 45 cannot be overlooked. The most notorious issue is propulsion failures, particularly in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf—where these boats are most needed today. A design flaw in the WR-21’s intercooler-recuperator causes the turbines to overheat and shut down, leading to total power loss and stranding ships at sea.
Between 2010-12, HMS Daring’s breakdowns were legendary. The breakdowns of HMS Dauntless in 2014 and HMS Duncan in 2016 were so serious that Parliament initiated massive inquiries into the breakdowns—and Britain’s raucous media quickly amplified the stories. As a result of these embarrassing failures—hallmarks of a formerly great navy in decline—the British initiated the Power Improvement Project (PIP) in 2019 to replace the diesel generators.
Sadly, major delays have complicated the refit and redeployment of these boats under the PIP. Only two or three Type 45s are operational at once due to the delays in the shipyards that are being caused by Britain’s second-rate shipyards. By mid-2025, most of the ships have undergone or are nearing PIP completion, but delays have kept availability low—often only two or three operational at once due to the laborious, horribly delayed refit schedules.
Then there are the armaments limitations plaguing the Royal Navy. Lacking dedicated anti-ship missiles since the Harpoon’s retirement in 2023, the Type 45s rely on their 4.5-inch gun for surface engagements, which no longer supports anti-air fire due to software changes. These ships also have no built-in ASW weapons, depending entirely on their helicopters—making them vulnerable in multi-domain threats.
The fleet’s small size—cut from 12 to six amid massive cost overruns—stretches Britain’s already strained resources thin. All this is exacerbated by Britain’s ongoing manpower shortages and spare parts issues. Critics argue this specialization limits versatility compared to multi-role peers, like the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
Why Can’t the Royal Navy Build Its Ships Right?
The Royal Navy is in dire straits. Type 45s are impressive ships on paper. But Britain is not in any position to handle them given their current, systemic problems. Engine woes, armament gaps, and low numbers highlight procurement pitfalls and the challenges of innovative designs, such as that of the Type 45. In fact, Britain is already ruminating over a replacement for the Type 45, the Type 83, which will likely hit the waves in the 2030s.
The British problem is that it is no longer an empire, but it still has pretensions of being one. Rather than addressing the underlying problems that have prevented the Type 45s from reaching their full potential, London continues to act as though the Royal Navy rules the waves, and the problems that it faces are insignificant. Britain’s warships will never reach their full potential unless real institutional changes are made—and British naval doctrine reflects a realistic outlook for the country’s greatly reduced global power and influence.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
