HMS Defender: Royal Navy destroyer to undergo major refit of weapons and engines in Portsmouth after over a decade on operations

HMS Defender returned to Portsmouth Naval Base from her Glasgow birthplace on June 25. She was welcomed home by Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell – who delivered a speech for the ship’s company and their families.

Commanding Officer Commander Peter Evans praised his crew after over a decade of frontline operations. He said: ‘We are marking a happy but solemn bookend on an amazing ten years of front-line service.

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‘Defender has delivered the best availability of any Type 45 destroyer and has operated all over the world; this is not solely down to British Engineering, but to the elite sailors who operate, maintain and support our efforts.’ The Destroyer’s refit is scheduled to include the Type 45 power improvement plan.

Three new efficient engines will replace the two original diesel units. Vital upgrades will be made to her Sea Viper anti-air missile system, increasing the silo capacity by 50 per cent.

The Royal Navy believe the upgrades will prepare HMS Defender for the latest threats. Other work which cannot be done as part of routine maintenance will also be carried out.

The refit is expected to last two years. Since her maiden voyage from Glasgow, Scotland, over ten years ago, the 152 metre long vessel has sailed a distance equivalent to travelling 12 times around.

She had covered every major ocean – barring the Antarctic – and was the first Type 45 destroyer to conduct winter operations deep in the Arctic Circle. HMS Defender has fired over 7,000 rounds from her main gun, sailed over 300,000 nautical miles and destroyed three target drones using her Sea Viper missile system.

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The vessel completed four operations and four exercises last year – being at the heart of Royal Navy operations. She also escorted the first UK carrier global task force deployment in 2021, and is routinely the escort of choice to defend US aircraft carriers.

This privilege is not normally entrusted to any other nation. While visiting Glasgow, she handed over her affiliates to HMS Glasgow – a new generation of submarine hunter.

Engineering Technician Oliver Goodwin, a sailor on his first deployment, said being on HMS Defender was a ‘really fun but challenging experience’ – especially in the Mediterranean and Norway.