HMS Vigilant was a Clydebank three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer purchased by the Royal Navy under the 1899–1900 Naval Estimates.

[3][4] She was laid down as a speculative build Yard No 116 at the John Brown and Company shipyard in Clydebank.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'.

After 30 September 1913, she was known as a C-Class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.

[7] NOTE: All tabular data under General Characteristics only from the listed Jane's Fighting Ships volume unless otherwise specified