Royal Navy’s HMS Dauntless Spotted Carrying Possible New Counter-Drone System

Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33) has been seen sporting new containers near the ship’s port and starboard Phalanx mounts, speculated to house vertically launched drone interceptors.

While no official comment has been forthcoming so far as to the nature of these new containers, their design, location, the timing of their appearance, and the refusal to comment itself all lend credence to the notion that they are part of a new counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) system being deployed by the Royal Navy. In March 2026, the service began seeking industry input for a C-UAS capability that could be rapidly procured and installed, “requiring no/minimal integration and with providers that are able to work at pace”.

Defiance through unity

HMS Dauntless joined Ukrainian warships in the south coast for exercises aimed at safeguarding their home waters

The quintet, based in Portsmouth, completed a week of intensive training including blowing up dummy mines and sailing in formation https://t.co/tEw8qqcWxT

— BFBS Forces News (@ForcesNews) October 13, 2026

Noted by our friends at Navy Lookout, an independent specialist outlet for Royal Navy news and affairs, the system was fitted prior to Dauntless’ fleet operational sea training (FOST) period undertaken from HMNB Devonport, Plymouth in September. A large area of segregated airspace exists off the coast of Plymouth where FOST exercises take place which allows for near-unrestricted drone flights.

And after 2 years of waiting to photograph this specific angle since the last time. Everything aligned perfectly with the setting sun shining softly on Dauntless as she heads back out to sea https://t.co/4891Epjncu

— TomLeachPhotography (@TomLeachPhotos) September 25, 2026

After completing FOST, Dauntless sailed to the Welsh coast to participate in Exercise Sharpshooter. Sharpshooter is dedicated to the emerging threat from uncrewed aerial and surface attacks, and for this most recent edition the ship was joined by embedded journalists from the i newspaper.

No indication of any new C-UAS capability appears to have been disclosed to i reporter Molly Blackall, and it was perhaps deliberate that a mainstream outlet that is not specifically focused on defence reporting was invited to observe these drills as such a relatively minor addition to the ship, such as these containers, would go unnoticed by all but the most observant Royal Navy watchers.

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The containers – arranged in pairs – are located on both sides of the ship. If the square panels on the exterior of the containers (unknown purpose) are an indication of the number of interceptors inside, this would add up to 16 individual effectors across the whole ship. Due to the likely small size and weight of these interceptors, it is also possible that the launch containers could be reloaded manually at sea. Most interceptors of this scale we have seen to date are propelled by small electrically-driven propellers mounted on pylons in an ‘X’ configuration.

A Sea King HU5 from HeliOperations fitted with mockup drone interceptors at Farnborough International Airshow 2026. These might be of a similar general design to the potential new interceptors on board HMS Dauntless. | Source: Kai Greet Dedicated C-UAS effectors would ease the cost and supply burden on the ship’s high end Aster air defence missiles, while providing a longer ranged and more targeted alternative to the existing Phalanx CIWS, 30 mm cannons, and 4.5 inch gun.

Ukrainian Magura MV11 USV equipped with an 18-cell Vertical Launch System for STING counter-drone system.

Via @mavivatannet https://t.co/HVQArTgJQi

— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) September 7, 2026

Wildcat helicopters can operate from the ship’s flight deck with Martlet missiles, which have proven very effective in countering attack drones, but this is reliant on both there being a Wildcat embarked as well as the helicopter and its flight crew being ready for operations at the required time. During Dauntless’ deployment with HMS Prince of Wales in 2025, a Wildcat was maintained in an armed configuration on the flight deck 24 hours a day when transiting through high-risk areas like the Red Sea.

Martlet and Sea Venom drill rounds displayed on a Wildcat HMA2 at Farnborough International Airshow 2026. | Source: Kai Greet Sister ship HMS Diamond (D34) employed Aster missiles against drone threats while deployed to the Red Sea in 2023 and 2024 – it is unclear whether any of these drones would have been within the target parameters of this potential new system, though the stated requirement in March called for an effector capable of defeating NATO Class 2 drones which would include platforms up to 600 kilograms.

Dauntless is due to soon join HMS Prince of Wales on phase two of Operation Firecrest, which will take the carrier and escorts to NATO’s northern flank as a deterrent to increased Russian naval activity in the High North. While a direct live-fire confrontation with Russian forces is unlikely, the Royal Navy will be aware of the possibility that merchant vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet might be directed to covertly harass or even threaten NATO warships using small, inexpensive drones.

The second of six Type 45 destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Dauntless was the first in the class to receive the Power Improvement Project (PIP) upgrade that is designed to rectify previous issues with the class’ power and propulsion system. Additional vertical launch system (VLS) cells are planned for integration on the fleet in the years to come to allow 24 Sea Ceptor (CAMM) missiles to be carried in addition to 48 Aster missiles in the existing Sylver VLS.

On Tuesday HMS Dauntless sailed from Birkenhead to begin her sea trials as the first Royal Navy Type 45 to complete her Power Improvement Project. @CammellLaird @BMT_Global @HMSDauntless @DefenceES @RoyalNavy https://t.co/FtrCmV2AQ5

— BAE Systems Maritime (@BAES_Maritime) June 16, 2022

Adding the shorter ranged CAMM for point defence will allow the Aster 15 configuration to be withdrawn in favor of an all-Aster 30 payload. The timeline for this upgrade on Dauntless is unclear, though as some other ships in the class are having the work completed during their PIP upgrades, Dauntless may be one of the last to field it.