A day in the bay with Nato forces

Six ships – including the Royal Navy’s latest front-line Type 45 destroyer – were berthed in Cardiff Bay at the heart of a ‘military village’ in Britannia Park, which also featured equipment, displays and personnel from the Army and RAF.

And on a hot, sunny Sunday the people of South Wales turned up in their thousands to see what today’s Armed Forces have to offer – one estimate put the total number of visitors throughout the day at more than 80,000.

See more: Photo gallery: Thunder over Cardiff and Newport as Nato planes fly overWatch: Estimated 70,000 attend NATO 'Meet the Forces' day

The ships had travelled to South Wales in support of the NATO summit at the Celtic Manor Hotel in nearby Newport, during which Duncan hosted a formal dinner on board for 28 NATO defence ministers.

She and the other five warships – La Motte-Picquet from France, Skudd from Norway, Kursis , Lithuania, Urk - Netherlands and Viesturs - Latvia, were joined in Roath Basin by two Archer-class patrol boats, HM Ships Biter and Express, in welcoming visitors on board.

Duncan saw more than 4,000 members of the public cross her gangway, while the two patrol boats – each with a ship’s company of just five – had attracted more than 200 people by early afternoon.

Those stepping onto the destroyer’s flight deck in the morning were greeted by a dalek borrowed from the nearby BBC film studios.