HMS Daring, the first of the Royal Navy’s (RN) Type 45 destroyers, is on display at the ongoing Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX, Doha, Qatar, 26-28 March 2012), showcasing her state-of the-art technology, including the new, fully digital, radar electronic support measures (RESM) system supplied by Thales UK.

The ship has recently set sail on operational duty, following the recent outfitting of the new digital antennas as part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) UAT MOD 2 update program.

Thales is currently the sole supplier of RESM equipment to the RN’s warship and submarine fleet.

In conjunction with the MoD, Thales has developed the direct radio frequency sampling and wideband digital receiver technology necessary to achieve a true digital antenna.

The technology provides excellent system performance in the modern dense radar environment and is capable of managing multiple, truly simultaneous signals. This enables the ship to operate in all operational maritime theatres, including the littoral, and provides the RN with world-leading electronic warfare support and threat-identification technology.

By digitising the RF signal at the antenna, the majority of the receiver functionality is implemented as software and firmware algorithms. The system is therefore easily upgraded and new signal analysis tools are easily introduced, keeping the RESM capability current in a rapidly evolving operational environment.

This approach also maximises the use of commercial off-the-shelf hardware, making the RESM significantly more reliable, and easier to maintain while reducing the total cost of ownership.

Type 45 destroyers are also fitted with Thales UK’s fully integrated communications system, S1850M radar (with BAE Systems) and a conical log spiral UHF satellite communications antenna.