Tri-Service

HMS Dauntless Joins the Fight Against ISIL

Royal Navy air defence destroyer HMS Dauntless has joined the international military operation against ISIL, protecting the US Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as she launches air strikes from the Gulf.

Having arrived in the Middle East just weeks ago, the Type 45 destroyer has already made a positive contribution to the region, conducting maritime security patrols to deter terrorist activities and illegal trafficking as part of the 30-nation Combined Maritime Forces.

Fresh from their success, the men and women of HMS Dauntless have now switched their focus to the next phase of their deployment East of Suez: defending the USS Carl Vinson as she launches jets bombing ISIL.

Joining the carrier strike group in the Gulf this week, HMS Dauntless has stepped into the hole left by her sister ship HMS Defender, which supported US Navy carrier strike operations toward the end of last year.

Using her world-beating air defence radar and advanced Sea Viper missile system, the Type 45 destroyer will protect the carrier strike group from airborne threats. As HMS Dauntless will carry out this role when the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class carriers commission later this decade, the experience gained now is invaluable.