HMS Dauntless returns to Portsmouth after a month at sea conducting trials

HMS Dauntless has returned to Portsmouth after spending around a month conducting work-up sea trials.

The Type 45 destroyer entered the harbour this morning, accompanied by two tugs as she made her way back into port.

The return marks the end of a period of sea trials designed to prepare the warship and her crew for future operations following a period of maintenance.

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Dauntless had sailed from Portsmouth in September after a period of maintenance, getting back to sea as the ship resumed training and worked towards operational readiness.

The destroyer is one of six Type 45 air-defence destroyers operated by the Royal Navy and is designed to provide protection against air threats while supporting wider carrier and maritime operations.

Her return to Portsmouth comes after a busy period for the ship.

In February, the ship sailed with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Prior to that, HMS Dauntless was a vital part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group 2025 on Operation Highmast, which culminated in four months in the Indo-Pacific.

And in April this year, she took part in Operation Sharpshooter off the Welsh coast, during which the warship managed to shoot down a swarm of drones in a live-fire exercise.