MPs' fears over destroyer delays

HMS Daring can also provide supporting fire for troops on land

Delays to new Royal Navy destroyers may have "deeply worrying implications" for the UK's defence, MPs have warned.

The first Type 45 destroyer is set to enter service later this year, more than two years late, £1.5bn over budget, and not fully operational.

The vessels are being built in component "blocks" by shipyards in Glasgow and Portsmouth.

The government described some of the Commons Public Accounts Committee's criticisms as "absurd".

Destroyers are the Navy's workhorses, defending larger ships from air attack.

The committee found that delays to the new class of destroyer meant ageing ships had been repaired for longer service.

See features of a Type 45 Destroyer

Edward Leigh, chairman of the cross-party Commons Public Accounts Committee, described the delays as "disgraceful".

He said: "HMS Daring, the first of the six Type 45s, will not now enter service until the end of 2009, over two years late and £1.5bn over the original budgeted cost.

"It will enter service with not one of its main anti-air missiles having been fired from the ship - and it will not be fully operational until 2011.

"The fleet of Type 45s will not have their full capability until well into the next decade."

By the time she enters service, the Type 45 will already have proven a level of anti-air warfare performance significantly higher than any other ship Defence Minister Quentin Davies

Mr Leigh said this left two worrying implications for the UK's air-defence capability.

He said: "One is our having to rely for a number of years on ageing vessels designed and built for the Cold War.

"The other is that, even when the full complement of six Type 45s is fully operational, this number of new destroyers falls short of the 12 originally planned and then eight subsequently proposed, making it very difficult for the MoD [Ministry of Defence] to meet its requirement of having five ships at sea at any one time."

The committee concluded the MoD made "serious mistakes" in the early stages of the project, setting "unrealistic cost and time objectives".

However, Mr Leigh acknowledged the MoD had learnt lessons from the project which it was applying to the construction of two new aircraft carriers.

The Type 45s have been constructed by BVT Surface Fleet, a joint venture between defence contractors BAE Systems and VT Group, with their bow sections, masts and funnels made in Portsmouth.

'Extensive trials'

Assembly and launch takes place at Glasgow's Govan shipyard before the ships are fitted out along the Clyde at Scotstoun.

Construction is progressing in Govan

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said the Type 45 would be the Royal Navy's largest and most powerful ever air defence destroyer.

He said the government would consider the committee's comments.

But he added: "By the time she enters service, the Type 45 will already have proven a level of anti-air warfare performance significantly higher than any other ship.

"Against this background the government is surprised and disappointed that the Committee does not recognise the extensive trials that have taken place.

"In these circumstances, the use of the word 'disgrace' obviously makes no sense at all and is absurd."

1 Flight deck to take Lynx or Merlin combat helicopter

2 Navigation radar

3 Long-range radar monitors air and surface threats

4 Communications mast

5 Small-calibre gun

6 Multi-function radar can guide ship's missiles and detect enemy ones

7 Gunfire control system

8 Vertical-launching system for short- and long-range missiles

9 Medium-calibre main gun

10 Bow sonar (under keel)

Return to link