The Type 45 reached a narrow export market

Did Britain miss an opportunity by failing to export the Type 45?

Britain tried, but there were too few navies seeking a top-end area-air-defence destroyer when the class was new.

Britain offered the Type 45 for export. Its difficulty was market timing because the ship represented a very capable and specialized area-air-defence system. Few prospective customers wanted that level of capability when the design entered the market. Export performance therefore reflected the number of suitable buyers as well as the quality of the ship.