Jan 11, 2012 UK_Type 45 Destroyer HMS Daring set sail for Strait of Hormuz

Britain's newest and most advanced warship has set sail for the troubled Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. The ship's maiden deployment comes amid heightened tensions with Iran over threats to block the Straits, a major oil shipping lane. After four years of sea trials, the one-and-a-half billion-dollar destroyer, HMS Daring, eased out of Portsmouth harbor, the home of the UK's Royal Navy. According to UK military sources the 8,000-ton vessel has considerable offensive power. Armed with 48 anti-air missiles, it is considered one of the most powerful air-defense ships in the world. The HMS Daring is equipped with advance radar system that allows it to track hundreds of targets in a 800 km radius, while its distinctive stealth design helps it avoid detection. The dispatch of the ship follows confirmation Iran has begun enriching uranium at a bomb proof bunker, which has further fueled suspicions its developing nuclear weapons. Fears that have triggered sanctions by the European Union and the United States, Iran responded with naval maneuvers and threats to shut down important oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, vital to the global economy. It's into this fraught arena that HMS Daring will venture on its first mission. And while the Captain of the ship says this is a deployment that's been a year in the planning, he adds that his 180-strong crew are ready for anything. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has consistently denied that his country is developing nuclear weapons and has responded angrily to the presence of war boats off the coast of Iran. Despite all it's sophisticated prowess, Iranian state TV has dismissed HMS Daring as nothing more than a moving target. At the very least then it's apparent Daring can expect a cold reception when it enters the warm waters of the Gulf in the next few days. It is en route to join partner navies in the dangerous waters of the Gulf. The Great Day of Annihilation http://thegreatdayofannihilation.com