Naval vessels from seventeen different countries arrived in Sydney Harbour today for the International Fleet Review. Among them was HMS Daring, one of the most advanced ships in the British Royal Navy.

The type 45-destroyer travelled from her home port of Portsmouth in May for a nine-month deployment, stopping in Puerto Rico, San Diego, Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Pearl Harbour in Hawaii.

It's the first time a ship of her class has visited Australia.

Watch: A pilot's view of the Lynx Mark 8 Helicopter on board HMS Daring

Commander Angus Essenhigh says the purpose of the visit is part training opportunity and part diplomatic visit.

"The Royal Navy has had a long-standing relationship with many areas of the world, this is one we don't get to service very frequently," he says.

Deputy Weapon Engineer Officer Fraser Mackay was on board the ship last year when the anti-aircraft and anti-missile warship was involved in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, near Somalia.

The deployment meant keeping an eye on local fishing vessels and any suspicious activity in the region.

"Routinely we'd go most of the time just to have a chat with them, see how they were getting on what they'd seen while they were in the area and if we'd seen a suspicious vessel or flag verification, we'd send a team to go aboard the ship and then carry out a search if neccesary," he says.

Following the visit, the HMS Daring will stay in the region and join Indonesian, Malaysian, New Zealand and Australian forces in joint naval exercises.

Timelapse: HMS Daring enters Sydney Harbour