The Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless recently conducted a week-long training exercise off the coast of Wales, focusing on countering drone and missile threats. Exercise Sharpshooter tested the crew’s ability to detect, identify, and neutralize incoming unmanned aerial vehicles, reflecting the growing importance of drone warfare in modern naval operations.

The Type 45 destroyer, a key asset in the Royal Navy’s air defence fleet, is equipped to create a protective shield over strategic land and sea areas. During the exercise, the vessel’s crew practiced responding to simulated drone attacks, employing the ship’s sophisticated sensors, radars, and multiple weapons systems.

Threat detection begins deep within the ship’s operations room, where about 40 analysts monitor an array of screens displaying radar data, electronic signatures, and intelligence inputs. The ship’s radar systems can reportedly track threats at long ranges, including objects hundreds of miles away. Upon detecting a potential drone or missile, the crew quickly analyzes its characteristics such as speed, size, and electromagnetic emissions.

Alert systems notify the crew to prepare for impact, allowing personnel to don protective gear. Within as little as 45 seconds, the team must evaluate the threat and select an appropriate response. Lieutenant Commander David Ferguson, recalling his experience countering attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in 2024, highlighted the rapid decision-making required in such scenarios.

HMS Dauntless carries a diverse arsenal including six weapon types and a Wildcat helicopter capable of launching missiles. Its primary armament, the Mk 45 Naval Gun, can fire 25 large-caliber rounds per minute. The defense strategy prioritizes engaging threats at maximum effective range, using longer-range weapons first before deploying closer-range systems as the target approaches.

Once a course of action is determined, the operations team coordinates with the ship’s bridge to maneuver the vessel into an optimal firing position. The ship’s Phalanx close-in weapon system and machine guns create an intense and noisy defensive environment as they engage simulated targets. In parallel, the Wildcat helicopter can be airborne within 15 minutes to assist by using onboard sensors to track or neutralize threats after receiving authorization from the operations control.

The exercise also addressed challenges posed by electronic warfare tactics such as GPS jamming, which can disrupt aerial navigation. Wildcat pilots adapt by relying on radar, visual markers, and inertial navigation to maintain effectiveness even in contested environments.

Over the course of Exercise Sharpshooter, HMS Dauntless successfully intercepted more than a dozen simulated attacks, demonstrating the crew’s readiness for real-world deployments. With increasing threats from adversaries like Russia and Yemen’s Houthi militants, such training underscores the evolving need for effective maritime air defence in safeguarding critical assets and maritime routes.