HMS Daring powers up Sampson radar ahead of Royal Navy return to sea

After nearly a decade out of service, HMS Daring is finally coming back to life. The Royal Navy destroyer’s Sampson radar has been powered up ahead of a long-awaited return to sea. This marks one of the clearest indication yet that the Type 45 destroyer is entering the final stages of her regeneration programme.

A video was shared on X yesterday (9 September) showing the Royal Navy’s HMS Daring’s Sampson radar spinning with the caption “HMS Daring warming up yesterday.” She is currently listed as “Due to return to sea this autumn.”

HMS Daring warming up yesterday @HMSDaring @navylookout @WarshipsIFR @seawaves_mag @UKDefJournal @UKForcesTracker pic.twitter.com/J0gKVJ1BSy

— Steve A Wenham (@AWenham1) September 9, 2026

In April 2026, Luke Pollard said that she would return to service later in 2026 following upgrades including the Power Improvement Project. The project addressed the WR-21 gas turbine issues that had plagued the class in warmer waters.

HMS Daring is the lead ship of the six-ship Type 45 air defence destroyer fleet.

Bridging the gap between Type 23 frigate retirements and new Type 26 and 31 frigates

With the Royal Navy fast retiring its Type 23 frigates (five remain in service), the service is investing in its Type 45 destroyer fleet in an effort to increase their availability and partially mitigate the gap between the Type 23 frigates retiring and the Type 31 and Type 26 frigates entering service starting in 2028.

HMS Glasgow, the lead ship of the Type 26 City class, is expected to begin sea trials in late 2026 or early 2027, be handed over to the Navy in 2027, and achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2028.

HMS Venturer, the lead vessel of the Type 31 Inspiration class, is fitting out and is expected to be delivered at the end of the decade and achieve Initial Operating Capability in the early 2030s.

The Defense Investment Plan schedules the Type 45 destroyers to be retired from service between 2035 and 2038, although a life extension programme beyond 2035 is under active study.

Timeline of laying up and regeneration of HMS Daring

HMS Daring was launched in 2006 and commissioned in 2009. She was laid up in June 2017 due to manpower shortages. At the time, crewing the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers and frigates became a greater priority.

She began her major refit in Portsmouth in August 2019 and was later towed to Cammell Laird shipyard in 2021. She returned to Portsmouth in January 2023 and began the most challenging stage of her regeneration.

How to bring a vessel back to life

Bringing a vessel back to life that has been laid up for so long is problematic. The Type 45 is even more challenging on account of its complexity. Her refit saw the replacement of obsolete equipment, the installation of new engines, and the firing up of systems that had been dormant for years.

In February 2026, The Navy Outlook reported that HMS Daring achieved her ship staff move onboard (SSMOB), marking a major milestone in regenerating the ship. By that time, she had been non-operational for more than eight years.