UK sends destroyer to Persian Gulf to fight Islamic State

UK sends destroyer to Persian Gulf to fight Islamic State

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UKRoyal Navy is sending a destroyer to help in the fight against the Islamic State, despite concerns that the warship’s advanced engine system could break down in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf, The Independent reports.

The £1bn HMS Daring will be tasked with protecting American aircraft carriers during bombing raids on militant targets, according to the Defense Secretary, and sets sail from Portsmouth on Friday, September 2.

Michael Fallon said the deployment showed all three branches of the Armed Forces were “making a real difference around the world”.

Daring will take over the responsibilities of HMS Defender, another of the UK’s six Type 45 destroyers, which returned to Portsmouth at the start of July following a nine-month operation, The Independent says.

As well as its defensive role in the Gulf, it will be expected to perform reconnaissance missions reporting back to the coalition headquarters for air strikes against IS.

And, if HMS Defender’s record is anything to go by, it will play a part in protecting some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes from pirates and smugglers. In June, Defender made headlines when it intercepted more than a ton of hash (estimated street value £5.6m) being trafficked across the Indian Ocean.

HMS Daring, which has a crew of 190, has had a troubled past with technical issues. Built by BAE Systems, it broke down in the mid-Atlantic in 2010 and again in Bahrain in 2012.

The Royal Navy has since admitted that the Type 45 destroyers’ innovative gas turbine engines, which are supposed to provide propulsion and electricity for on-board systems at the same time, are prone to breaking down in warm conditions.

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