During Exercise Sharpshooter, one of the Royal Navy’s most advanced destroyers demonstrated its firepower by shooting down multiple drones in a simulation that mirrors real threats such as those faced in the Red Sea.
The HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 destroyer of the Royal Navy, successfully carried out a live-fire exercise off the coast of Wales, where it engaged and destroyed swarms of aerial and maritime drones. The test, called Exercise Sharpshooter, was the final challenge before the ship’s upcoming Indo-Pacific deployment with the British Carrier Strike Group.
+ Watch the Sharpshooter exercise video
Using a combination of advanced weapons — including the Phalanx gun, 30 mm and 4.5-inch cannons, and Martlet missiles launched from a Wildcat helicopter — the ship eliminated simulated targets like the Banshee and Hammerhead drones, designed to replicate modern threats.
The exercise was overseen by the Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, who said:
“The speed and skill of HMS Dauntless’s crew were impressive. It shows how ready the Royal Navy is to face emerging threats like those seen in the Red Sea.”
In addition to daytime testing, Dauntless was also challenged with nighttime scenarios. Static targets were placed at sea with sensors to collect technical data on the effectiveness of the weapons used.
With support from QinetiQ, a Ministry of Defence partner, the training brought together more than 350 professionals and served as a foundation for the standards that will be required during the Carrier Strike Group’s mission in the Indo-Pacific — a region of vital importance to the UK’s commercial interests.
Commander Ben Dorrington celebrated the success:
“We are ready to defend, ready to fight, and ready to win.”
Source and images: Royal Navy. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
