Were Britain ever to go to war with Russia, HMS Daring is the kind of ship that might make all the difference. Technically one of the most advanced warfighting vessels in the world, it is a floating no-fly zone, bristling with missiles that provide a protective umbrella over hundreds of square miles of airspace.

It can escort a naval fleet, give cover to a landing force, or defend an entire city against missile and aircraft attack. When first launched, in 2006, the Royal Navy boasted that its weapons system – capable of hitting a cricket ball-sized object travelling at Mach 3 – could single-handedly keep the whole of London safe. Such are its capabilities, defence officials claimed, that a visiting Pentagon team were left “shaken and shocked”.