As the Cold War dawned, the new technology of guided anti-aircraft missiles offered warships the chance to defeat air attacks from afar, thus preserving their role in naval warfare. The result was the guided missile destroyer - a specialist air-defence ship, built to protect the fleet from enemy warplanes and missiles. Uniquely, three of the Royal Navy's classes of guided missile destroyers have been tested in battle against modern aircraft and anti-ship missiles. Two Type 42s were lost in the Falklands War, but they succeeded in their mission - to protect the task force's vital aircraft carriers. The Type 42s also fought in the Gulf War, during which HMS Gloucester's Sea Dart achieved the world's first combat interception of an anti-ship missile, shooting down an incoming Iraqi Silkworm. Illustrated with striking photos and detailed new artwork, this book examines the technology, operational service and combat performance of Britain's guided missile destroyers, from the first-generation missiles to the state-of-the-art Type 45 ships. Book jacket.