HMS Diamond (D34)

HMS Diamond in 2016
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Diamond
Ordered	20 December 2000[5]
Builder	BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
Yard number	1063[4]
Laid down	25 February 2005
Launched	27 November 2007
Sponsored by	Lady Johns
Commissioned	6 May 2011[6]
Identification	Deck code: DM[1] Pennant number: D34 International callsign: GPLC[2] IMO number: 4907763[3]
Motto	Honor clarissima gemma ("Honour is the brightest jewel")
Nickname(s)	"The Jewel in the Naval Crown"
Status	In active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 45 Guided missile destroyer
Displacement	8,000[8] to 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons)[9][10][11]
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[34]
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)[7]
Range	In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)[7]
Complement	191[14] (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)[15] Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro-Optical Gun Control System (EOGCS)[16] Ultra Electronics SML Technologies radar tracking system Ultra Electronics/EDO MFS-7000 sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	UAT Mod 2.0 (2.1 planned)[32] AN/SSQ-130 Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system [33] Seagnat Naval Decoy IDS300 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament	Anti-air missiles: PAAMS air-defence system 48 × Sylver Vertical Launching System A50 for: Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km) Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km), to be upgraded with a ballistic missile defence capability,[17] called Sea Viper Evolution.[18] [24 × cell Sea Ceptor silos to be fitted starting on HMS Defender from 2026 for: 24 × surface-to-air missiles that will replace the Aster 15 missiles to allow all 48× Sylver Vertical Launching Systems to be used for Aster 30.][19][20][21] Anti-ship missiles: Harpoon Block 1C SSMs, originally fit (retired 2023);[22][23][24][25][26] being replaced with Naval Strike Missile starting on HMS Dauntless from 2024)[27][28][29] Guns: 1 × 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun 2 × DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns[30] 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × 7.62 mm Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023)[31] 6 × 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried	1–2 × Lynx Wildcat, armed with: Martlet anti ship missiles, or Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (projected full operating capability from 2026)[12] or 2 × anti submarine torpedoes or 1 × Westland Merlin,[13] armed with: 4 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities	Large flight deck Enclosed hangar

HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence guided missile destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, and completed her contractor's sea trials and arrived at her base port in 2010. Diamond formally entered service in 2011.

It is equipped with a SAMPSON active electronically scanned array multi-function radar system that allows the Diamond to track 2,000 threats from over 250 miles away, a Sea Viper missile system that can launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and can guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously, a Wildcat HMA2 helicopter with Martlet air-to-surface missiles, and a 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun.

In December 2023, Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, with a Sea Viper missile, in what the UK Ministry of Defence said was the first time in decades that the Royal Navy had shot an aerial target in anger. On 10 January 2024, the Houthis carried out a more daring attack on US and UK ships. This was a missile barrage, and all the missiles were shot down by Diamond, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and other naval vessels.^[35][36]