May 2026 - Part 2

April 2026 - Part 2

Type 45 Destroyer

HMS DUNEDIN

Link to Website Index:

Type 45 Daring Class Destroyer, “HMS DUNEDIN (Hull 7)”

Royal Navy, 2027

3d Print, 1/700

The Type 45 Daring Class destroyers arose from the failed UK-FR-IT Common New Generation Frigate programme of the late 1990s. As the divergence of national requirements became too much to accommodate in a single design, the UK left the CNGF “Horizon” project and proceeded with its own slightly larger variant of the baseline CNGF design, using the same PAAMS missile system (known in RN service as “Sea Viper”)at its core and the Thales/BaeSystems S1850 long range Radar . Compared with the French/Italian Horizon/Orizzonte Class ships, the UK variant added a UK designed command system and more capable UK Sampson medium range radar, as well as Phalanx CIWS, 20mm guns and offboard decoy systems.

Designed at a very high pace as a CNGF backup, the first Type 45 entered service in 2009, followed by 5 others from an intended buy of 12. The ships have generally been very successful, although shortfalls in their main power generation systems (powering the ship’s electric drives) have caused significant issues in their WR21 Gas Turbines (GT) in warmer waters (partly because it was decided that they would not need to operate in these conditions often). As a result, they are currently (2026) going through a major power improvement programme (PIP) to replace the existing diesel generators with larger capacity, thus providing resilience against GT shortfalls.

The Type 45’s PAAMS/Sea Viper system is probably the best all round air defence system in the world, with the MBDA Aster 30 missile in its SAMP/T form having proven more successful in the ABM role in Ukraine than e.g. Patriot. HMS DIAMOND successfully downed a Houthi ballistic missile in the Red Sea along with numerous slower missiles and drones. HMS DRAGON is currently (April 2026) deployed south of Cyprus to provide ballistic missile defence for RAF Akrotiri against Iranian missiles. Further capabilities are being added by the addition of the smaller Sea Ceptor medium range air defence missile that has also proven highly effective when used by Type 23 frigates in the red Sea.

(Note: HMS DUNEDIN is not a genuine Type 45 , but intended to represent what might have been, had the original full Type 45 order of 8-12 ships been completed). D Class names for the follow on ships were never allocated, but I know that “Dainty” had been discounted and “Diana” was seen as too controversial. Dunedin (one of the 1918 D Class) must have been a good candidate, not least as a replacement for HMS EDINBURGH.

. Dunedin must hav been a good candidate for one at least!

Building a Type 45

Following on from my Type 31 this was a free 3D file on Cults 3D that looks to have even more detail than the Type 31, so I couldn’t resist another pop!

Although I feel less affinity to these ships than to the Type 31, way back in the mists of time I did work on their original procurement too, at the very early stage of the collapse of the CNGF and the establishment of its replacement. I had left the RN by the time the first ship was commissioned.

Some additional details, such as the Phalanx mounts, were taken from a Dragon Type 42 Destroyer kit (which I shall be building in its pre-phalanx days!). As with the Type 31, the STL files were scaled up appropriately, then split in two so that they would actually fit in my printer.

<<Link to previous month

Link to Next Month >>