Stood on the deck of a Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer, it feels like something from a movie set. It is a massive, windowless structure designed to wreak havoc, destruction and fury. The clues are everywhere you turn. Spinning radar towers grind away relentlessly. Every outward-looking point on the minimal deck space is covered with machine gun mounts, missile silos and a massive cannon.

The role of the Royal Navy today differs little from its origins –defending and protecting British interests around the world, fighting off countless have-a-go military commanders from Napoleon to Hitler.

While the objectives of the fleet remain the same, the available weaponry has changed starkly through the ages. From the cannons and torpedoes of the WW2 ships (as recreated in World of Warships) to the radar machine guns of the modern day, the Royal Navy has always been able to remain at the cutting edge of warfare technology.

“We have some incredibly advanced, world-class kit and weaponry,” says Commander Ben Keith. A real-life World of Warships captain – the man in charge of HMS Diamond’s destiny out at sea. The ship is currently on her way to the Gulf for a nine-month deployment. “We are part of the backbone of the Royal Navy, committed around the world - 365 days a year - to hunting pirates, drug runners or defending the fleet from air attack and providing humanitarian aid after natural disasters.”

Right now, this ship is home to around 250 men and women. Their Middle Eastern mission pits them against threats like terrorists, pirates, drug runners and people smugglers. While this does not replicate the intense WW2 battles of World of Warships, it is one of the most dangerous deployments the Royal Navy have on their books in the present day.

HMS Diamond is currently gliding through the water in an undisclosed location. She is trained for war but, for now, the closest the crew will come to this is in a computer game. “It’s very exciting and very dangerous. Nobody wants to go to war, we want to prevent conflict,” says Ben. “But as they say, if you want peace you have to prepare for war. We are a strong deterrent when we deploy into an area of instability.”

The ship under his command is one of the most advanced warships in the world. Right now, she’s packed full of people and equipment, so space on board is extremely limited. The kitchen stores are bursting. The weapon magazines are overflowing with ammunition. Sleeping compartments have no vacancies. But everything on board is necessary for the dangers that lie ahead. That’s always been the way the Royal Navy has operated… only today the cannonballs of old are long gone.

“Our mission is to shield the fleet,” says Ben confidently. “We have Sea Viper missiles which can knock targets out of the sky up over 40 miles away. We have a 4.5-inch main gun that can fire up to two dozen high explosive shells per minute at targets more than a dozen miles away. We have two radar-controlled Gatling guns firing 3,000 rounds per minute and several gun emplacements manned by Royal Navy personnel who train every day to attack the enemy if the worst should happen.”

His words are menacing to any would-be enemy, and belie his relative newness to the job. HMS Diamond’s Captain is quite new – this will be his first time in command of a deployment to the Middle East. Formerly a Lynx helicopter pilot, he’s been in the Royal Navy for 19 years. But ever since he was a child, he’s wanted to be Captain of a Royal Navy ship. Make no mistake, this man is incredibly well prepared for the job –a post that requires tactical thinking, cooperation and great composure.

In fact, the ship and her crew have been preparing for this mission for many months. Endless drills have not only proved valuable preparation, but they’ve also allowed the men and women on board to form a unique bond.

“We all work together for a common purpose - to get the ship up to a high fighting capability through exercising every facet of the ship,” Ben says. “The flip side of that is that you can never get away from each other. We’re all in this metal box trying to achieve this common purpose. Sometimes you just need a little bit more of your own space. The guys and girls work very hard in often difficult circumstances.”

The more time you spend on board, the more you notice the idiosyncrasies. Everyone here does a serious job. There are no spare workers and very little down time. The language they use, known as ‘Jackspeak’, sounds barely decipherable and yet it is uttered with warmth and endless humour. This isn’t a ship’s company – this is a family.
That’s the result of constant training as they live and work in close proximity. If something happens during their deployment, sailors don’t ask what to do. They already know. It saves time and potentially saves lives.

For the most part though, life on board a ship is like living in a small, cramped engineering facility. The corridors are narrow and the stairways steep. Everywhere you look, pipes and cables carry important contents to small compartments with whimsical names, like the ‘Wardroom’ and ‘Killick’s Mess’.

A good analogy is to think of this ship as both a fighting weapon and a functioning village. On board there are fire fighters, police officers, teachers, cooks, priests and doctors. There is a shop, a laundrette, a massive kitchen and numerous break-out areas that look like sixth-form common rooms, complete with flat screen TV’s and endless supplies of tea and coffee. The Royal Navy go to great lengths to make their sailors feel at home when they are away, but perhaps the biggest source of enjoyment and relaxation is the opportunity to visit foreign ports and stretch sea-weary legs.

“We as a whole team of people look forward to port stops, where we have the chance for a little bit of downtime. That makes us a fantastic team,” says the Captain. The time away will obviously affect him too, especially as his role mean he’s often the most isolated person on board.

Long deployments in this world of warships are tough. Homesickness and cabin fever affect morale, which in turn can impact upon mission outcomes. Regular post from home is a highlight, but the fact remains that no other part of the armed forces regularly calls on such a sacrifice. HMS Diamond’s crew, like so many before them, just happen to be the latest to rise to the challenge.