HMS Daring Sails Through Suez Canal

Images of the first of the Royal Navy's new high-tech destroyers passing through the Suez Canal have been released.

HMS Daring, the first-in-class of the Type 45 destroyers, took 12 hours to pass through the 120-mile canal which links the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

The navy's most powerful warship set off last month from its home base of Portsmouth for its maiden deployment which is to last seven months.

Daring will take over from a frigate currently on station at East of Suez where it will continue counter-piracy measures as well as provide general back-up for the UK's operations and allies in the region.

Passing through the canal, Daring's force protection teams were at full readiness, manning the upper deck guns, as the ship passed through the canal which is only 205 metres wide.

Gunnery officer Lieutenant Jason Hannigan said: ''We have trained repeatedly to prepare for this demanding passage.

''The team performed well and the ship made the transit through the Suez exactly as planned. It was a particularly proud day for me in my career in the Royal Navy.''

Daring's sister ship HMS Dauntless is to set sail to patrol the Falkland Islands and the South Atlantic on its maiden mission later this year.