Defender successfully completes her first sea trials

Do Not adjust your set.

The mixed civilian and Naval ship’s company of Britain’s latest destroyer lean on the sprawling flight deck as HMS Defender turns at speed on her first set of sea trials.

The £1bn warship – the fifth of sixth built for the Royal Navy – has just returned to the shipyard where she was built after a very successful three-week period of sea trials in and around the Firth of Clyde.

Thanks to the progress made with her four older sisters – Daring, Dauntless, Diamond and Dragon, all now in the hands of the Royal Navy – her maiden voyage was the shortest of the Type 45 destroyer programme to date.

That said, all the basic functions – if you can ever call Britain’s most advanced surface ship basic – needed testing: speed, manoeuvrability, power and propulsion systems, ‘domestic services’ – galley, laundry, messes and the like – plus weapons systems and sensors.

Now back alongside, further work and testing systems will continue at the BAE yard, while the ever-growing ship’s company make best use of their time on the Clyde to forge links with the good folk of Glasgow.

Defender will be affiliated to the great city for the next 35 years and have already started to fundraise for their chosen local charity, the Kelbourne School for the physically impaired.

The ship’s company have run regular events with BAE employees including a couple of race nights and a marathon row along the length of the River Clyde (176km or 109 miles if you prefer old money).

Money raised from these events was increased thanks to a tuck shop and laundry run by BAE employees Robert Cullen and Derek Keough, meaning a total of £2,600 was this month shared between the ship’s charities and BAE’s charity, Erskine Hospital.

As for the ship, she’ll return to sea in March for a second set of trials and is on schedule to make her debut in her future home of Portsmouth in mid-July 2012.

After more trials and training, she’ll take her place in the Fleet from early 2013.