Royal Navy: Upgraded HMS Dauntless ends maintenance and set for exercises with HMS Prince of Wales also at sea
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
A Portsmouth-based warship has completed her maintenance period and is set various naval drills - with the Royal Navy flagship also at sea.
HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 Destroyer, sailed from HMNB Portsmouth over the weekend to carry out a series of drills. The huge aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is also out at sea as she gears up to lead the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific region this Spring - which includes trips to Australia and Japan.
A statement on the HMS Dauntless X account, which included the UK Carrier Strike Group, said: “Having completed our maintenance package, Dauntless has now sailed from Portsmouth to test our equipment and our sailors in various scenarios.” One of the drills which the ship’s company conducted was the Man Overboard Exercise, testing sailors on their reaction skills in emergency scenarios.
The Type 45 destroyer previously worked alongside HMS Prince of Wales during Exercise Strike Warrior in October 2024. F-35B Lightning jets, frigates, destroyers, submarines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers, and helicopters - with nearly 2,000 personnel - were al operating in the North Sea to test their ability to work together as a team. The exercises carried out included high-end warfighting and emergency response drills for floods and fires.
Last year, HMS Dauntless was recertified into the Royal Navy fleet, with various upgrades being made to the warship. Captain Mike Goodall, from the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) team, previously said: “Returning to sea marks the completion of a major support intervention, realising the availability improvement principles of RENOWN and setting a course for the wider Class to follow. The agility demonstrated by the support enterprise to deliver at pace ensures that HMS Dauntless remains on track to meet the demands of CSG25.”
Last week, Royal Navy sailors aboard HMS Prince of Wales carried out a range exercises including aviation and damage control drills. Her Merlin Helicopters also made several flights, with personnel from 27 Squadron and 824 Naval Air Squadron joining them.