The Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and 26 of his deputies toured HMS Dauntless to get a feel for the present and future Royal Navy.
The guests were invited on board the Type 45 destroyer in Portsmouth by one of their fellow deputies – First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas.
The visitors, led by Lord Lieutenant Angus Campbell, learned about HMS Dauntless’ recent deployment to the Arabian Gulf, the role and capabilities of the Type 45s, and the Navy’s new aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales which are under construction in Scotland.
They also learned about the ship’s Sea Viper missile system and how the Type 45s can provide air defence for a carrier strike group – just as Dauntless did while working with the United Sates aircraft carrier Carl Vinson during her Gulf deployment.
Before stepping on board HMS Dauntless the guests were given a Naval history lesson with visits to the Mary Rose Museum and HMS Victory.
Image: Royal Navy