The County class was a class of British guided missile destroyers, the first such warships built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Seaslug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war environment.
HMS Kent at Portsmouth in 1989
London leads Antrim and Norfolk during exercises in 1971
HMS Norfolk, a Batch 2 ship, following modification that removed the 'B' turret and replaced it with four Exocet launcher boxes
A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a primary gun armament or a small number of anti-aircraft missiles sufficient only for point-defense are designated DD. Nations vary in their use of destroyer D designation in their hull pennant numbering, either prefixing or dropping it altogether.
USS Arleigh Burke, the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers.
The Japanese guided-missile destroyer JDS Kongō firing a Standard Missile 3 anti-ballistic missile
Australian HMAS Brisbane
Type 055 destroyer The largest and most advanced surface warship in the People's Liberation Army Navy