Modernised destroyer HMS Dauntless sails into the Caribbean to test new engines in warm waters

The British Royal Navy's HMS Dauntless (D33) destroyer has recently undergone an upgrade and is now off to the Caribbean Sea. The purpose of the mission is to test the engines in warm waters.

Here's What We Know

HMS Dauntless was launched in 2006 and put into service approximately 3.5 years later. In 2020, the ship went for an upgrade. As part of the Power Improvement Project (PIP), the destroyer received new engines, and in early summer 2022 it went to sea for the first time in two years.

The cost of the project is estimated at £160 million (~$200 million). The contract was executed by BAE Systems as prime contractor. BMT Defense Services and Cammell Laird were also involved in the project.

HMS Dauntless will cross the Atlantic Ocean and sail to the Caribbean Sea. The upgrade involves the installation of MTU Series 4000 diesel generators made by Rolls-Royce instead of General Electric's Wärtsilä 12V200.

The 8,500-tonne ship completed a series of tests in April this year and was deemed ready for service. She was the first Type 45 destroyer to undergo the PIP upgrade.

Source: Royal Navy