The devastating might of one of Royal Navy’s most fearsome warships has been unleashed in a rare display of military power. 

HMS Dauntless let loose with almost with every weapon system at the ship’s disposal to destroy swarms of drones during a high-octane live-fire drill off the Welsh coast. 

The £1billion Type 45 vessel and her 190-strong crew fended off attack after attack from unmanned aircraft and boats as they raced towards it.

Helicopters armed with missiles blasted aircraft out of the sky, while ferocious machine guns on the ship, able to spew thousands of rounds a minutes, ripped into mock suicide drones.

The action, which unfolded on Tuesday, is part of the final round of drills before Dauntless joins a major deployment to Asia in the coming weeks protecting one of Britain’s two, £3billion aircraft carriers. 

The voyage could take the carrier strike group through dangerous waters in the Red Sea – and into the sights of Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have threatened to blast warships with their Iranian-made missiles and drones. 

It means the heavily-armed destroyer – which is a critical part of the defensive shield protecting HMS Prince of Wales – may come under attack for real. 

Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard witnessed the spectacle from ship’s bridge. He said: ‘The speed and skill shown by the crew of HMS Dauntless in defending the ship against a complex and sustained series of drone attacks was incredibly impressive.

HMS Dauntless unleashed an awesome display of military might on Tuesday during a live-fire drill. Pictured is the destroyer's 4.5in gun firing

HMS Dauntless unleashed an awesome display of military might on Tuesday during a live-fire drill. Pictured is the destroyer’s 4.5in gun firing 

Sailors were tasked with defending the ship from repeated drone attack. Pictured is one of the crew firing a heavy machine gun

Sailors were tasked with defending the ship from repeated drone attack. Pictured is one of the crew firing a heavy machine gun 

As well as aerial drones, Dauntless had to contend with attacks from unmanned 'suicide' boats

As well as aerial drones, Dauntless had to contend with attacks from unmanned ‘suicide’ boats

‘This test shows how the Royal Navy is adapting to face evolving threats, including from drone attacks in the Red Sea, as well as how we are working closely with industry to harness the latest technology to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad.’

The deployment comes ahead of escalating tensions between American and Iran, which has seen the US deploy B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia – which is in striking distance of Iran’s capital, Tehran. 

Donald Trump has already threatened to launch strikes against Iran if the regime does not reach a deal with Washington over its nuclear programme. 

The simmering tensions mean that Dauntless and the hundreds of men and women from Britain’s military who will be steaming towards Asia could find themselves in the line of fire, should the situation explode.   

Sharpening their skills ahead of their mission, Dauntless’ ship’s company used its advanced array radars sensors – as well as binoculars and the “mark one eyeball” – to scan the area for enemy threats. 

A large portion of the exercise involved simulated threats, such as pretend swarms of drone assaults, as well as cruise missiles and hostile fighter jets. 

But it also saw Dauntless having to fend off attack runs by unmanned Banshee aircraft capable of flying at 200mph and Hammerhead boat drones.

Suicide vessels, packed with explosives, have become an increasing threat in recent years, with Ukraine having used them to devastating effect to cripple Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin’s prized Black Sea Fleet.

A sailor is seen opening up with one of Dauntless' 30mm guns. Pictured in the background is the ship's Phalanx gun - which is capable of spewing out 3,000 rounds of armour-piercing shells in a minute

A sailor is seen opening up with one of Dauntless’ 30mm guns. Pictured in the background is the ship’s Phalanx gun – which is capable of spewing out 3,000 rounds of armour-piercing shells in a minute

Sailors were in fully battle dress, wearing protective clothing designed to protect them from fires

Explosions could be seen in the area as drones were destroyed during the drill

Explosions could be seen in the area as drones were destroyed during the drill 

Dauntless used its Phalanx gun – which is capable of spewing out 3,000 rounds of armour-piercing shells in a minute – its might 4.5in and 30mm guns, as well as its array of general purpose machine guns, to destroy the hostile threats. 

And the ship’s embarked Wildcat helicopter, armed with Martlet missiles capable of bringing down targets up to almost four miles away, was also used. 

Dramatic footage filmed by the Royal Navy showed rounds bouncing off the sea as Dauntless ‘went to war’ close to the Cardigan Bay area of the Welsh coast. 

The drill, the first of its kind for the navy, gave Dauntless and her ship’s company a taste into what her sister ship, HMS Diamond, faced when she operated in the Red Sea last year. 

Diamond was forced into action to protect the critical commercial shipping routes, which saw it become the first Royal Navy vessel to shop down a ballistic missile using its hi-tech Sea Viper missile.

Dauntless’ captain, Commander Ben Dorrington oversaw the action. He said: ‘The realism of the exercise and training delivered provided a unique opportunity for the ship’s company to demonstrate they are ready to defend, ready to fight and ready to win.

HMS Dauntless (pictured) will be deploying overseas later this year to protect aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales

HMS Dauntless (pictured) will be deploying overseas later this year to protect aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales

A sailor is pictured manning one of Dauntless' machine guns

A sailor is pictured manning one of Dauntless’ machine guns 

The bridge of the ship was a hive of activity as personnel tracked incoming threats

The bridge of the ship was a hive of activity as personnel tracked incoming threats 

‘As we reach the pinnacle of our comprehensive training package with the conclusion of “Exercise Sharpshooter”, we look forward to some well-deserved Easter leave before deploying as part of the carrier strike group in the spring.’

The Royal Navy, along with the British Army and RAF, have struggled to hit recruitment targets in recent years.

However, the Prime Minister has vowed to ramp up defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, in a bid to boost Britain’s military.   

Last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a further £2.2billion boost – which will see four of the Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers being fitted with cutting edge lasers.

The space-aged DragonFire ‘directed-energy weapon’ is so accurate it can hit a £1 coin from a mile away. 

It will be used to shoot down drones, missiles and jets, with each shot of the laser costing around £10 – vastly cheaper than the cost of a missile or hundreds of rounds of armour-piercing shells.

DragonFire will be installed on the warships by 2027. Dauntless is believed to be one of those set to receive the new kit.  

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