As the lead ship of the first destroyer class built for the Royal Navy since the Type 42 in the 1970s, she has attracted significant media and public attention.

[38] As she is the first in the class some structural areas needed to be tested, including the loads that the main 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun puts on the ship.

The ship's company used the opportunity to conduct familiarisation and training activities in preparation for the transfer of the vessel to the Royal Navy in December 2008.

The commissioning cake was cut by the wife of the commanding officer and Able Seaman Daniel Small, who was the youngest member of the ship's company.

Daring travelled through the Suez Canal on 2 February 2012, then continued on to the Persian Gulf, relieving the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll that was on station there.

[59] While in the Pacific, Daring took part in the Royal Australian Navy's International Fleet Review 2013 at Sydney and also participated in the 2013 Five Power Defence Arrangements exercise, Bersama Lima.

[61] Before her return to the United Kingdom, Daring made port visits in Japan,[62] South Korea, China, Vietnam,[63] Thailand and Malaysia.

[citation needed] In April 2017, after being relieved East of Suez by Monmouth, Daring transited the Bosphorus for exercises in the Black Sea with the Romanian Navy.

[69] On 15 September 2021, Daring left Portsmouth for the first time in four years under tow bound for Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead to allow work to be carried out installing new generators under the Power Improvement Project (PIP).