HMS ''Duncan'' is the sixth and last of the Type 45 or ''Daring''-class

air-defence Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

destroyers built for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

and launched in 2010. ''Duncan'' is named after

Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, KB (1 July 17314 August 1804) was a British admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory is considered one of the most significant actions in naval history. ...

(1 July 1731 – 4 August 1804), who defeated the Dutch fleet at the

Battle of Camperdown The Battle of Camperdown (known in Dutch as the ''Zeeslag bij Kamperduin'') was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797, between the British North Sea Fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Batavian Navy (Dutch) fleet under Vice-Admira ...

on 11 October 1797. The destroyer has served in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, and

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

s, and in 2019 was deployed to the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

in response to increased tensions with Iran in the region.

Characteristics

In 2014, the Royal Navy website stated that ''Duncan'' would be the first Type 45 destroyer to be armed with the

Harpoon A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal ...

antiship missile system. On 2 March 2015, ''Duncan'' left

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

armed with Harpoon antiship missiles.

Construction

''Duncan''s construction began at the

BAE Systems Naval Ships BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

(now part of

BAE Systems Surface Ships BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

) yards at

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south b ...

and

Scotstoun Scotstoun ( gd, Baile an Sgotaich) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Garscadden and Yoker to the west, Victoria Park, Jordanhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Cly ...

on the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

in 2006. She was launched from Govan on 11 October 2010, on the 213th anniversary of the

. ''Duncan'' sailed from Scotstoun shipyard,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, on 31 August 2012 to commence

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

Operational service

''Duncan'', the sixth and last Type 45 destroyer, was commissioned on 26 September 2013. She entered service on 30 December 2013, four months ahead of schedule, after a period of trials and training. On 2 March 2015, ''Duncan'' left

HMNB Portsmouth His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is l ...

on her maiden deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

. On 7 July 2015, ''Duncan'' joined up with the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

Carrier Strike Group Twelve Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12 or CARSTRKGRU 12) is one of four U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpo ...

to strike the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

. In April 2016, HMS ''Duncan'' was one of several Royal Navy ships exercising with the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in th ...

in Exercise Griffin Strike. In October 2016, ''Duncan'', escorted by the frigate , was dispatched by the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

to intercept and "man-mark" a fleet of Russian Navy vessels, including their

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the f ...

, which was passing through the English Channel on its way to Syria. In November, while sailing off the coast of England, ''Duncan'' suffered a total propulsion failure and was towed back to

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

. ''Duncan'' sailed from Portsmouth in June 2017 to assume the role of flagship of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

's Standing Maritime Naval Group 2 (SNMG2), operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ''Duncan'' was due to be relieved in September 2017 by on her final deployment, but ''Ocean'' was redeployed to the Caribbean Sea to provide relief to

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Br ...

in the region in the wake of

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Ma ...

. ''Duncan'' was instead relieved by , which was berthed in Gibraltar en route to the

to relieve . ''Duncan'' returned to Portsmouth on 22 September 2017. She resumed NATO duties in January 2018, visiting Mediterranean and Black Sea ports such as

Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...

Souda Bay Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri p ...

, and

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertain ...

, and again took command of SNMG2, returning to Portsmouth on 13 July 2018. In November and December 2018, ''Duncan'' featured in the first series of the Channel 5 television documentary ''Warship: Life at Sea'', which captured everyday life on board the vessel during her NATO deployment earlier that year, including confrontations with Russian warships and aircraft, including the ''Admiral Essen''. On the programme, the ship's crew frequently claimed that ''Duncan'' can detect a "tennis ball-sized object moving at three times the speed of sound, from over 100 miles away." In December 2018, ''Duncan'' was announced to be affiliated with the town of Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast. In July 2019, ''Duncan'' visited

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...

harbour in Ukraine. On 12 July 2019, she was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response to threats against British shipping by Iran. On arrival, she joined with the frigate in protecting cargo vessels and oil tankers. This deployment featured in the second series of the ''Warship: Life at Sea'' television documentary. In September 2019, ''Duncan'' returned to her home base at Portsmouth for a refit. By July 2021, Duncan’s refit was complete and she was back at sea by May 2022. In February 2023, ''Duncan'' joined Orion23, France's largest-ever military exercise, held in the light of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

. In March 2023, ''Duncan'' was reported fit with Harpoon anti-ship missiles for the first time in several years.

Affiliations

City of Dundee Dundee City Council is the local government authority for the City of Dundee. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. History Dundee City became a single-tier council in 1996, under the Local Government ...

City of Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

* Town of Scarborough *

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...

* No1 (Fighter) Squadron RAF *

Worshipful Company of Cooks The Worshipful Company of Cooks of London is the smallest of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company received its first and incorporating Royal Charter from Edward IV on 11 July 1482. Its Royal Charter of 16 February 1663, from ...

Worshipful Company of Saddlers The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. A Guild of Saddlers, the Company's predecessor, is thought to have been an Anglo-Saxon Craft Guild – it certainly existed at some point in the eleventh ...

* Friends of

Camperdown House Camperdown may refer to: Places ;Australia * Camperdown, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Camperdown, Victoria, a town in Western Victoria ;Canada * Camperdown Signal Station, operated 1797–1925, located on Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia ;E ...

* The

Mary Rose Trust The Mary Rose Trust is a limited charitable trust based in Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. Its primary aims are to preserve, display and spread knowledge about the 16th century warship '' Mary Rose'' which sank in the Solent on 19 July 1545 ...

* Northern Ireland Children's Hospice *

Lachlan Goudie Lachlan Goudie (born 1976) is a Scottish artist and television presenter. Early life Lachlan Goudie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1976, the son of Scottish figurative painter Alexander Goudie. He was educated at the Kelvinside Academy, aft ...

(Scottish painter and son of

Alexander Goudie Alexander Goudie (11 November 1933 – 9 March 2004) was a Scottish figurative painter. Education and Training Alexander Goudie was born in the Renfrewshire town of Paisley, Scotland, in 1933. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art under Wi ...

) * City of Duncan, BC and the Royal Naval Association Vancouver Island Branch *

Glenfarclas distillery Glenfarclas distillery is a Speyside whisky distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland. ''Glenfarclas'' translates as meaning ''valley of the green grass''. The distillery is owned and run by the Grant family. The distillery has six stills which ar ...

URNU The University Royal Naval Units (URNU) ( , less commonly ) (formerly Universities' Royal Naval Units) are Royal Navy training establishments who recruit Officer Cadets from a university or a number of universities, usually concentrated in o ...

Manchester & Salford * HMS ''Hibernia'' * TS ''Duncan'' Sea Cadet Unit (Dundee) * Northern Ireland District, Sea Cadet Corps

Notes

References

External links

Royal Navy HMS ''Duncan''
(royalnavy.mod.uk) {{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan (D37) Destroyers of the United Kingdom Type 45 destroyers Ships built on the River Clyde 2010 ships