Making more of the Daring class

[uk 75]

I have always been struck by the fact that France made much better use of the Surcouf class, their equivalents of the RN Daring class

Surcouf T47 class Destroyer French Navy Marine Nationale

surcouf class type t47 destroyer french navy marine nationale tartar sam

www.seaforces.org

Daring-class destroyer (1949) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

4 Tartar or Ikara equipped Darings anyone?

 

[zen]

Q-band Tartar yes, G-Band Tartar no.

 

[CNH]

What more could you make of them?

 

[uk 75]

What more could you make of them?

Well, the French updated theirs with various weapons as shown in the above.. Perhaps the RN could have done the same.

 

[Dilandu]

Q-band Tartar yes, G-Band Tartar no.

Hm, what about Sea Slug? Was it possible to refit Daring to carry a simplified variant (without the long dispersed magazine of County-class)?

 

[EwenS]

Well half of them, the DC group, would have needed a totally new electrical system to be of any use.

The RN did look at modernising them up until 1960 when they decided not to. Friedman has a couple of the proposals for them as fast Leanders. These retained both 4.5” forward, rebuilt super structures and masts, helicopter platform aft for Wasp, Limbo AS mortar, Seacat and VDS on the stern.

Ultimately the cost of the refit of a Daring was seen to be at least as much, if not more than a new Type 12 frigate with the manpower costs annually much greater.

It doesn’t look like any thought was given to putting Seaslug onto them. The Counties were seen as their replacement in the AD role.

 

[zen]

Q-band Tartar yes, G-Band Tartar no.

Hm, what about Sea Slug? Was it possible to refit Daring to carry a simplified variant (without the long dispersed magazine of County-class)?

It's the expensive, large, heavy and slow to build Type 901 guidance radar that's the problem.
Whereas the SARH options are lighter and cheaper.
So Earlier Brakemine with Blue Cedar maybe.
Arguably had Smaller Sea Slug been achieved, the desire to ramp up production of Type 901 would help.

Popsy, Mopsy and Orange Nell.
And Q-band Tartar.

 

[uk 75]

SURCOUF destroyers (1955 - 1957)

Interesting account of what France did with its Daring equivalent.
and the later but similar T53s

Duperre T53 class Destroyer French Navy Marine Nationale

duperre class type t53 t56 destroyer french navy marine nationale exocet ssm malafon

www.seaforces.org

 

[pathology_doc]

IIRC the South American navies that bought Darings put SSMs and gun CIWS on them.

Tartar replacing the aft 4.5" mount probably would have been a good fit, but that leads into the question (which I know has been discussed here) of whether the UK could or should have bought it in the first place.

 

[uk 75]

I think a leased Tartar fit similar to the French ships would have been welcomed by NATO at a time when the UK was short of modern escorts. They would have served from.1965 to 1975 (the Type 42s replacing them)
A Daring rather than HMS Bristol could have served as an Ikara trials ship. The Type 42 Seadart launcher could also have been trialed on a Daring. If a platform was needed for the propulsion systems for T22 and T42 HMS Exmouth could have been joined by a Daring. No Type 82s built.

 

[PMN1]

How many Tatar missiles could a Daring carry, presumably in place of the after turret.

 

[Pirate Pete]

There are a couple of illustrations on Shipbucket of the 'proposed' Royal Navy Daring modernisations..
Thanks to the creators on Shipbucket..

 

[Volkodav]

How many Tatar missiles could a Daring carry, presumably in place of the after turret.

42, 40, or 16 depending on whether the Mk11, 13 or 22 launcher was adopted.

Replacing the aft turret is the obvious choice but I have wondered if a 16 missile Mk 22 could replace B turret as fore and aft turrets were considered important in COIN ops in SEA. RAN Ikara installation was designed to replace a single Limbo and its magazine so would be a no brainer.