Warship open day hailed a success

HMS Daring can also provide supporting fire for troops on land

More than 5,000 people boarded HMS Daring, the Royal Navy's newest warship, in Portsmouth this weekend to see the navy in action.

The ship is the first of the navy's six new Type 45 destroyers and is due to enter service later this year.

The two-day event was jointly organised by Portsmouth Naval Base and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Visitors were invited to experience the modern navy as part of the Royal Navy Past and Present, a spokesman said.

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard's weekend attractions included interactive displays, along with the opportunity take the controls of a modern warship or go into battle with the Royal Marines.

HMS Daring will enter service at the end of this year, more than two years late and £1.5bn over the original budgeted cost.

Delay 'disgraceful'

However, it will not be fully operational until 2011.

Last month, Edward Leigh, chairman of the cross-party Commons Public Accounts Committee, described the delays to the warship becoming fully operational as "disgraceful".

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

But Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said the "government was disappointed" that the committee "does not recognise the extensive trials [of the warship] that have taken place".