Countess brings world's most advanced warship to life

[Blackleaf]

The Royal Navy's new Type 45's - which include HMS Daring, HMS Dauntless, HMS Diamond and HMS Dragon - are the world's most advanced warships.

These huge destroyers (the largest ever operated by the Royal Navy), the new aircraft carriers (the largest warships in Western Europe) and the new submarines (the largest ever operated by the Royal Navy) are all being built in Britain as the country revives its shipbuilding industry. The fact that the new Royal Navy destroyers, aircraft carriers and submarines are all the largest that the Royal Navy has ever operated shows how determined the Royal Navy is to becoming even more powerful over the coming decades.

16 Nov 2006

HRH COUNTESS OF WESSEX BRINGS HMS DARING TO LIFE

Her Royal Highness Countess Wessex and Paul Wright

Powerering up ceremony

Glasgow, UK; Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex has today brought to life Daring, the first of class Type 45 destroyer currently being fitted out for the Royal Navy by BAE Systems on the Clyde.

On her first official visit to the ship that she launched on 1 February, Her Royal Highness switched on the ship’s diesel generators, ‘powering up’ the world’s most advanced warship and breathing life into her for the first time. When fully operational, each Type 45 destroyers will generate a total power output in excess of 45 Megawatts, enough to power TWENTY FOUR Glasgow underground systems.

The Countess spent several hours meeting members of Daring’s first crew, from her Commanding Officer Commander David Shutts to Daring’s first junior rating, Writer Karen Munro. Her Royal Highness then presented the first medal to be awarded to a member of her ship’s company, the Long-Service and Good Conduct medal to Chief Petty Officer Paul Wright, who has completed fifteen years of service, including postings to Croatia, the Falklands and hurricane relief in the Caribbean.

The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers will be the world's most advanced warships and will help make the world's second-most powerful navy much stronger.


Commander David Shutts, Daring’s Commanding Officer, said “It is a huge honour for Daring to have the Countess as our sponsor and it is fitting that Her Royal Highness is the first person to bring the ship to life. Her strong interest in and commitment to Daring will be a source of great pride not just for this company but all of those who serve in her in years to come”.

Vic Emery, managing director BAE Systems Naval Ships said, “When the Type 45s enter service from 2009, they will provide the Royal Navy with the most advanced air defence capability in the world.

“The on-schedule, successful start of generator trials is a key achievement for BAE Systems and all of our many partners on the Type 45 programme. It is a major milestone on the road to her first sea trials in summer 2007.”

The Type 45 programme will provide the Royal Navy with a versatile destroyer capable of contributing to worldwide maritime and joint operations for much of the first half of this century. As well as providing a specialist air warfare capability, they will also afford the fleet a general-purpose multi-role platform capable of performing tasks from peace support and defence diplomacy through to high-intensity warfare.

Work on the second in class Type 45, HMS Dauntless, is making strong progress and will be launched from BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard on Tuesday 23 January 2007.

baesystems.com

 

[Tonington]

I like the lines on that ship, she's a beaut!

 

[Curiosity]

She is a beaut...... ships take my breath away ..... they are so huge....and beautiful and ugly all at the same time. I love her name too "Daring".

Who is the Countess of Wessex - I mean is she related to the Queen or ???

I had never seen an aircraft carrier except in movies and there is no comparison when one is face to face with one in the harbor. The first time I was "introduced to one"....I'll never forget it.

Stupid landlubber that I was - I was totally surprised the middle of the ship was off to one side.... (doh)....

I spent the next minutes listening to reasons why.... feeling very embarrassed at my ignorance.

 

[Tonington]

That really is a site when you see an aircraft carrier coming into a harbour. I can't remember which American carrier it was that I saw in Halifax, but it was amazing. I've always been fascinated by naval ships, probably because my role model served in the Corvettes during the battle of the North Atlantic. Naval ships are so beautiful, and terrible at the same time. The monsters the Germans made, had they been in the hands of a competant Navy would have been quite a fleet.

 

[Curiosity]

Tonington

Yup - I know what you are saying - I'm a wee bit partial to the Navy...and those huge craft....I actually stop talking when one is near....

 

[the caracal kid]

"Naval ships are so beautiful, and terrible at the same time."

Indeed. If humanity could harness the energy put into the category of "agression/defence/tribal demarkation".... Of the things humanity has accomplished, that we stand most in awe of its ability to destroy is a true measurement of the species. It is absolutely frightening in how humanity has become so efficent at destruction. Humanity really is still that tribal creature of 100000 years ago laced with more power than it can manange. Perhaps "a lit match in a shack of dynomite" is a suitable description.

 

[Curiosity]

Exactly - Caracal Kid

Can you imagine the beauty of a peaceful creation manmade - to assure humanity's ongoing fulfilled life on earth ?

Where there are no lines or boundaries - where we all share in our labors and our accomplishments and our dreams ?

When someone declares war and we all say "NO!"

 

[the caracal kid]

I would so much like to see that, curiosity.

But we are faced with the tribal human, which unfortunately is still reactionary and "threat" driven. As a species, and as individuals, we tend to be very short sighted. Driven by meeting "immediate needs" at the expense of long term needs. We are so driven by "our needs" that we will freely exploit anything to fulfill them. Filled with justifications for our behaviors, rationalizations for how "our situation is different", we seem to still (for the most part) lack a real feeling for our existance. We pay a lip service to our interdependencies, yet seem to critically overlook them out of ignorance, indifference, or selfishness.

100000 years ago a man may have hit another man over the head for a shiny trinket.
Most assuredly, somewhere today a man has hit another man over the head for a shiney trinket.

100000 years ago we burned wood for heat and light.
today we burn coal,oil,wood,gas for heat and light.

100000 years ago we distinguished between members of our tribe and others.
today we still don't see that all of humanity is our tribe.

 

[Curiosity]

CaracalKid

I would wager throughout the civlized world there are more peaceful builders than irate teardowners.

Perhaps the majority - the unelected, unheard voices should be heard.

 

[the caracal kid]

i would not be so certian of that.

humans still form into little tribes defining the "us and them". It is a part of the genetics that has not been overcome by reason alone.

I will grant you though, that it is in poverty we find those traits we seem to most hold on high. Excess and greed breeds more excess and greed, creating the most selfish and materialistic of man. The west pays sickening lipservice to helping others. It learned how to placate its own guilt for taking $100 dollars by giving $5 back and claiming it was helping.

No, when we look at core nature of humanity we see an animal that wants its territory, wants its resources, and wants the rewards of greater resources.

There are few that understand how to not need, to not want.

There are few that find an inner peace in the butchery of humanity.

And those that do, are usually the ones killed off because they were easy prey.

As part of my growth, I spent a year living isolated from humanity (in the mtns). The hardest thing was coming back.

 

[Curiosity]

CaracalKid

Then you know more about this than I - I am a solo flyer but I need human contact too - to reassure that my own corner of the world is still afloat.

What if everyone had all they could use for the remainder of their lives though? There is only so much we can use in the way of "things" - and if there was no need to accumulate wealth and comfort for it was available to all - and our children were guaranteed all that we had when they were adults, what would be the point of fighting.....? What could we want --- to acquire a pretty bird someone else owned?

Lord I sound like a socialist - and I realize mankind has to exercise his/her individuality and talent and develop our unique-ness, but competition seems so unhealthy the way we practice it - and killing?

There can be no rationale for it.

Admiration here for your removal from society - did you have any hallucinatory moments? I would as my whole being is wrapped up totally in transmitting and receiving.

 

[the caracal kid]

"Your whole idea about yourself is borrowed-
borrowed from those who have no idea of who they are themselves." Osho

We define ourselves through others. It is our nature to compete for rank. We can move past this, but it takes serious inner vision. It is easier to live in the moment, driven by our animalisms, than to try and awaken ourselves. Comptetition thus is us at our most animalistic nature. An old indian saying goes "When I know not who I am, I serve you. When I know who I am, I am you."

No hallucinations, but perhaps the closest I have been to what some would call a "spiritual experience". I don't know if it was such, or just my old buddhist teachings coming forth, but in one moment of meditation I felt like I was the universe and could "feel" the interconnection with everything. The experience in that moment can not be described with our linear language system.

 

[Curiosity]

CaracalKid

Fantastic experience - the world must seem so plastic to you after that - and so noisy!

I think allowing inner quiet is fearful because we never know what will emerge.

Can I ask which "mountains" you escaped into?

 

[the caracal kid]

it does seem that way.

I was in the Canadian Rockies. Nothing quite like a rugged, barren, cold landscape. :lol:

 

[Curiosity]

CaracalKid

Then you must have "wintered" there?? O my.

Amazing you are here.

How about sharing? Do a thread on your adventure?