What was claimed
Type 45 destroyers cannot take out incoming missiles.
Our verdict
Incorrect. Type 45 destroyers are equipped to shoot down missiles, though work to modernise air defence systems is ongoing.
Type 45 destroyers such as HMS Dragon can shoot down incoming missiles
“He says that we are pre-deploying. The one ship that we are sending, HMS Dragon, is still in Portsmouth. The fact is that Type 45s cannot take out incoming missiles. This is not enough.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed that Type 45 destroyers “cannot take out incoming missiles”.
This isn’t correct. Type 45 destroyers are equipped to shoot down missiles and have previously done so on operations.
Mrs Badenoch’s comments were made in response to an announcement that the UK would be deploying the Royal Navy’s HMS Dragon—a Type 45 destroyer—to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The move comes after it was confirmed that the RAF Akrotiri military base in Cyprus had been struck by a suspected drone.
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) press release announcing the deployment confirmed that the ship is equipped with the “Sea Viper missile system”, which can be used to shoot down missiles, and noted that “Type 45 Destroyers have already been proven on operations, including when one successfully intercepted a Houthi missile in 2024”.
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The MOD told Full Fact that the Type 45 class’s primary role is air defence, including against missiles.
It’s worth noting that work is ongoing to upgrade the Sea Viper system used by Type 45 destroyers for air defence. It was announced in 2022 that an upgrade would allow the destroyers to detect and destroy anti-ship ballistic missiles, and last month the government said the first phase of the Sea Viper Evolution Programme would reach full operating capability in 2032.
A source close to Mrs Badenoch has reportedly claimed she was cut off during her comments—though based on video from the session, this doesn’t appear to be the case.
We’ve contacted Mrs Badenoch and the Conservative party for comment and will update this article if we receive a response.