HMS Dragon (D35)

HMS Dragon in 2011
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Dragon
Ordered:	December 2000
Builder:	BVT Surface Fleet
Yard number:	1064
Laid down:	19 December 2005
Launched:	17 November 2008
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Susie Boissier
Commissioned:	20 April 2012
Identification:	Deck code: DR Pennant number: D35 International callsign: GMIA IMO number: 4907866
Motto:	"We yield but to St George"
Status:	In active service, as of 2014
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement:	8,000 to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)
Length:	152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam:	21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Draught:	7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power:	2 × Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines, 21.5 MW (28,800 shp) each 2 × Wärtsilä 12V200 diesel generators, 2 MW (2,700 shp) each
Propulsion:	2 shafts integrated electric propulsion with 2 × Converteam electric motors, 20 MW (27,000 shp) each
Speed:	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range:	In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement:	191 (accommodation for up to 235)
Sensors and processing systems:	SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar (Type 1045) S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar (Type 1046) Raytheon Integrated Bridge and Navigation System 2 × Raytheon AHRS INS (MINS 2) 2 × Raytheon I-band Radar (Type 1047) 1 × Raytheon E/F-band Radar (Type 1048) Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS) Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned) AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system Seagnat Naval Decoy IDS300 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament:	Anti-air missiles: Sea Viper air defence system, with a 48-cell Sylver A50 VLS, for mix of up to 48: Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km) Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km) Anti-ship missiles: 2 × quad Harpoon launchers Guns: 1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun 2 × Oerlikon 30 mm guns 2 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × Miniguns 6 × General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:	1–2 × Lynx Wildcat, armed with: 4 × anti ship missiles, or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes or 1 × Westland Merlin, armed with: 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities:	Large flight deck Enclosed hangar

HMS Dragon is the fourth ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in November 2008 and commissioned on 20 April 2012.

Dragon's construction began at the then BAE Systems Naval Ships (later BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions) yard at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in December 2005, and by December 2007 the bow section was in place on the Govan slipway for mating with the other modules. Dragon launched from the slipway at Govan on 17 November 2008 at 3:00pm. Her sponsor was Mrs Susie Boissier, wife of Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Chief of Staff. She was fitted out at Scotstoun.

Dragon commenced her first set of contractor's sea trials on 5 November 2010.

Dragon joined the Royal Navy Surface Fleet on Friday, 20 April 2012. On Friday 27 April she made her maiden visit to Liverpool, staying for three days. She was opened to the public on Saturday 28 April, with visitors able to see the inside of the ship, including the operations room.

In August 2013, it was reported that Dragon was sailing with the USS Nimitz carrier group in the Arabian Sea, acting as the main point ship for aircraft control. In August 2013, several Typhoons from No. 6 Squadron RAF were exercising with Dragon and US fighters in the Gulf. It has sailed westwards to the Eastern Mediterranean.

In April 2014, Dragon was deployed to waters north of Scotland, after having sailed from Portsmouth, to track the Russian warship Vice-Admiral Kulakov. She was part of the Royal Navy's Atlantic Patrol Tasking in late 2014.

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