Ship Daring visits Vietnam
Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Daring arrives at Tien Sa Port in Danang city on 18 December 2013.
HMS Daring
Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Daring arrives at Tien Sa Port in Danang city on 18 December 2013. Her four day visit to Vietnam is part of this year’s celebrations to mark 40 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK. HMS Daring’s visit is a demonstration of the strength of the UK-Vietnam bilateral relationship and of the growing warmth of our defence relationship, following the appointment of a new resident Defence Attaché, Group Captain Tim Below.
As one of the Royal Navy’s most modern and technologically sophisticated ships, she represents the themes of the Vietnam and UK 40th anniversary: Inspire, Learn & Innovate. During the visit of HMS Daring, the ship will host the annual bilateral Defence Working Group. This year’s meeting will focus on exploring areas for greater UK and Vietnamese cooperation; finding areas where British businesses can be involved; an exchange of views on strategic regional issues; and strengthening our relationship through defined and extensive training exchange opportunities.
The Ship’s Company is also involved in a range of activities on shore, including a volleyball game against the Vietnamese Navy; visits to orphanages and a performance of marching music by the Royal Marines Band in the city centre of Danang.
Ahead of the visit of HMS Daring, British Ambassador to Vietnam Dr Antony Stokes said: “I am delighted to be welcoming HMS Daring Commander Angus Essenhigh and the Ship’s Company to Vietnam during the 40th anniversary of UK-Vietnam diplomatic relations. The visit brings together all elements of our broad and deep bilateral relationship including enhanced mutual prosperity; stronger defence and security engagement; and shared values. I hope it helps us to build on these themes and to strengthen our relationship in the years to come.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
HMS DARING was the first of six Type 45 DARING class destroyers to be built by BAE SYSTEMS and was commissioned on 27 July 2009. Type 45 Destroyers are well designed ships which are capable of operating anywhere in the world. Comprehensively armed with a sophisticated and high tech command management system, DARING class destroyers are a formidable force at sea.
In charge of the ship is the Captain, Commander Angus Essenhigh, and reporting directly to him are the Heads of the various departments on board. Operating, repairing and maintaining the complex array of onboard equipment requires high levels of professional knowledge and skills from all members of the crew, known more properly as The Ship’s Company. The Ship’s Company is made up of about 30 Officers, 55 Senior Ratings and 130 Junior Ratings, each one of whom has a vital role to play. HMS DARING has 35 females (approximately 15% of all those on board). Since entering the service in 2009, HMS DARING has been hard at work in many areas of the globe, from anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden to international exercises in the United States.
In the aftermath of the devastating typhoon Haiyan, HMS DARING travelled to the Philippines, where she visited over 70 islands, providing villagers with 498 shelter kits, over 7.5 tonnes of drinking water, 223 kitchen sets and repairing school roofs, generators and boat engines. Specialist sailors also built a desalination plant for a local well and gave medical aid in the shape of 14 medics deployed by the UK Department of International Development and the ship’s own doctor.
2013 marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Vietnam; 20 years of the British Council in Vietnam, 20 years of development assistance.
The UK and Vietnam agreed that 2013 should highlight the themes of: INSPIRE – LEARN – INNOVATE. Together we inspire the next generation to realise their ambition; support them to learn, benefitting from excellent Vietnam-UK education cooperation. And we want the next generation to innovate for sustained prosperity for Vietnam and UK.
HMS DARING’s visit to Vietnam is the culmination of a year-long programme of joint UK and Vietnam activity in support of our Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed in 2010. This agreed that we would strengthen our cooperation in seven key areas: political–diplomatic cooperation; global and regional issues; trade and investment; sustainable socio-economic cooperation; education, training, science and technology; security and defence; and people-to-people links. Visits which continued to these aims included, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to the UK in January; Lord Astor, UK Defence Minister, to Vietnam in late January; Lord Green, UK Minister of Trade and Investment, in June and His Royal Highness the Duke of York to Vietnam in September.
GREAT Week in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in late September showcased the best of British business, highlighting the UK as a strategic partner for Vietnam. GREAT Week offered Vietnamese the chance to learn more about UK culture, education and vocational training.
For further information, please contact the British Embassy Communications Manager, Ms Dinh Thu Huong, Tel. 3936 0500 ext 2227; email: dinh.huong@fco.gov.uk