Royal Navy: HMS Dauntless defends West coast of Europe "from potential naval strikes" alongside French forces

The Royal Navy said HMS Dauntless “defended the western coast of Europe from potential naval strikes alongside their French counterparts” during an exercise in the eastern Atlantic. The Type 45 destroyer provided an integral air defence role as part of Exercise Sky Shark.

Commanding Officer of HMS Dauntless, Commander Ben Dorrington, said: “This exercise underscores the vital importance of the UK French partnership. By working together in challenging maritime scenarios, we continue to strengthen our ability to respond effectively to shared challenges.”

Exercise Sky Shark allowed the UK and French navies to work on their shared commitment to maritime security and combined operational capability. The Royal Navy said HMS Dauntless dealt with “adversary naval strikes” from Dutch and Spanish warships - who were also taking part in the exercise. She was joined by French submarine hunting frigate Aquitaine.

The Portsmouth-based destroyer safeguarded the exercise group against aerial threats posed by the French Navy’s Rafale jets, and the country’s underwater threat from a submarine. She also carried out a replenishment at sea exercise with the French naval tanker FS Somme, the first time HMS Dauntless carried out the task in nearly a decade. She is now back in Portsmouth.