UK targets late 2020s for Type 45 ballistic missile defence
Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender fires an Aster missile. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
Upgrades to UK RN Type 45 destroyers are designed to counter the increased threat anti-ship ballistic cruise missiles pose to Carrier Strike Groups and the wider fleet.
The UK has said it will be the first country in Europe to operate a maritime ballistic missile defence (BMD) capability that can detect and destroy anti-ship ballistic missiles through an upgrade to the RN’s fleet of Daring-class Type 45 destroyers.
Under the Sea Viper Evolution Programme, the UK will join the OCCAR Aster Block 1 programme in a tri-nation agreement with France and Italy.
Plans will see the conversion of existing Aster missile stocks in the UK to the Aster 30 Block 1 standard, plus software updates to the Sampson multi-function radar (MFR) and Sea Viper
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance]()
Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance
Success with the US Army’s Black Widow programme may have strengthened Red Cat’s international position, but executives believe the next growth opportunity lies in uncrewed surface vessels.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
