My camera was acting up the 1st time I did this, not staying focused. So I redid it, and it came out MUCH better.

The video is of eight guided missile destroyers from around the World, the real work horses of today's major navies...though the Guided Missile Frigates (FFGs) can also be considered to fill that role.

We will have a separate video on 1/350 scale Frigates later.

This video includes the following Destroyers:

1. US Navy Arleigh Burke AEGIS DDG. 71 built, 23 more planned, an additional 20 proposed. 9,600 tons to over 10,000 tons, 96 Mk41 VLS missile tubes. 1 x 5" DP Gun, 2 x Phalanx 20mm CIWS, 2 x 25mm Rapid fire auto cannons, 2 x 3 Torpedo launchers, 2 separate hangers for two Seahawk ASW/SAR/Recon helicopters, plastic kit by Trumpeter.

2. Japanese, JMSDF, Atago class AEGIS destroyer DDG. A total of eight AEGIS DDGs built. 9,400 10,000 tons. 96 MK42 VLS missile tubes, 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 1 x 3" DP Gun, 2 x 4 SSM launchers, 2 x 3 Torpedo launcher, 1 hanger for 1 Seahawk sized ASW helicopter, plastic kit by Trumpeter.

3. Chinese PLAN Type 052D DDG. A total of 23 Built so far, 12 commissioned, 11 outfitting and trials. Another up to 20 planned. 8,400 tons. 64 VLS launcher cells. 1 x 25 cell HQ10 launcher. 1 x 130mm DP gun, 2 x 3 Torpedo launchers , 1 hanger for one KA27 sized helicopter, plastic kit by Bronco.

4. German F125 Baden Württemberg class DDG. 7,400 tons. 1 completed, 3 building for a total of four. 1 x 127mm DP gun with guided VULCANO ammunition for landattack missions range: more than 100 km (62 mi), 2 x 21 cell RAM missile launchers, 2 x 4 SSM launchers, 2 x 27mm auto cannons, 1 x Hanger for 2 x medium ASW helos, 3D kit by Dutch Miniatures, Shapeways.

5. Russian Udaloy II DDG. Udaloy 7,200 tons, Udaloy II, 7,800 tons. Built from early 1980s through 1994. 15 completed, 6 decommissioned, 9 active. One Udaloy II completed which is this model. 1x dual 130mm DP rapid fire gun, 8 x8 VLS cells for 64 SAN9 'Gauntlet' surfacetoair missiles, 2 x Kashtin joint missile, 30mm gun CIWS, 2 x 4 torpedo launchers, 1 hanger for 2 x KA27 helos, 2 × 10 RBU12000 antisubmarine rocket launchers, plastic kit by Trumpeter.

6. Royal Navy Type 45 Daring class DDG. All six built and active. 9,300 ton full displacement. 48cell Sylver A50 VLS, for mix of up to 48: Aster 15 missiles (range 1.7–30 km) and Aster 30 missiles (range 3–120 km), 1 x BAE 4.5 inch DP gun, 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 x 30 mm auto cannons, 2 x 4 SSM launchers, 1 hanger for up to 1 x large Merlin ASW helicopter, plastic kit by Airfix.

7. Japanese, JMSDF, Akizuki, JapaneseAEGIS destroyer. Dual band aperture radars, 1 x 127mm DP gun, 32 cell Mk41 cell armed with quad packed ESSM missiles for a total of 128 missiles, 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 x 3 Torpedo launchers, 1 hanger for Seahawk sized ASW helicopter, resin kit by Arts Technique/Pitt Road.

8. Chinese PLAN Type 052C DDG. All six built and active. 7,200 full load tons. 2 Cold Launch VLS installations for a total of 48 HHQ9 surfacetoair missiles, 2 x 6 barrel 30mm CIWS, 8 x YJ62 antiship cruise missiles, 4 multiple launch rocket launchers, probably for ASW, 1 hanger for KA27 sized helo, plastic kit by Trumpeter.

The French and Italian Horizon class destroyers (2 for each country) are very similar to the Royal Navy Type 45 Daring class. The Russians have three Sovremenny and the Chinese now have four Sovremenny destroyers, each similarly armed to the Udaloy II. There are 1/350 scale plastic kits of many of those by Trumpeter.

One of the principle uses of destroyers today is to help be a major player in the defense of carrier strike groups or amphibious groups. With the US, China, and the Russians (and also with the Koreans) these ships would work with even larger missile vessels which are cruiser sized vessels. To not to have enough missiles to defend against an attempt at a saturation attack against the major vessels of carriers, LHDs or LHAs, and LPDs, would be disastrous. That is why the Chinese kept building until they had a cruiser sized vessel in the Type 055 that carries sufficient numbers of missiles.

The Type 45 class and the Horizon class, which are very modern electronically, are IMHO, woefully short on available missile tubes at only 48 each. If there were any major conflict, their carriers would almost have to be company of a US Navy Strike group in order to make sure they could be adequately protected.

The US Navy Burke destroyers are considered among, if not the best, because of their heavy armament, the large number of them, the amount of training they do, and the constant upgrading and testing they run through with so many allies, and the massive number of different missiles available for the Mk41 system. This gives them a reaction to a real world combat scenario that is almost second nature.

I will make videos for FFGs, CGs, and for SSNs too.