Quite a lot of naval vessels pass through the DLR_Blog area of interest and sometimes the public are allowed on board to have a look around.
HMS Duncan, the newest ship in the Royal Navy, arrived on the river Thames and passed through Gallions Reach on it’s way to West India dock where it was open to the public.
HMS Duncan is the last of six Daring-class Type 45 Destroyers for the Royal Navy and is an imposing sight sitting in West India dock in Canary Wharf.
On the flight deck was a Wildcat helicopter which is the new shipboard helicopter for the Royal Navy and was developed from the Lynx – up to two Wildcats or one Merlin helicopter can be carried by HMS Duncan.
Then it was inside the ship to see various working and living spaces including the sick bay and living quarters.
Next it was in to the Operations Room which is where all the mission command and control is undertaken using all of the weapons and sensors carried by the ship.
HMS Duncan’s AIS system looks a bit more advanced than the version I have at home!!
Out on the forward deck it was time to see where the main armaments and countermeasures are housed. This includes both the main 4.5 inch gun and two close-in weapon systems along with the various missile systems.
The ship is also equipped with two Pacific 24 RIBs, one of which was patrolling the docks.
An enjoyable and informative visit and many thanks to the crew of HMS Duncan and to the Royal Navy for allowing the visit on board.
Dock, Lock and River Blog (#dlr_blog) 