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The British Navy has seen significant changes over the past 200 years, since Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson sailed HMS Victory to glory in the Battle of Trafalgar. 

And to celebrate 2014 being the 209th anniversary of Trafalgar Day - when Admiral Nelson hoisted the flag in conquest - BAE Systems has revealed just how far naval engineering has evolved.

Using laser imaging techniques, experts have been able to get under the skin of HMS Victory - the oldest commissioned warship in the world - allowing them to draw direct comparisons between the vessel, and Type 45 Destroyer HMS Defender.

The 249-year-old HMS Victory's £50 million conservation program has seen experts from BAE Systems using both advanced laser diagrams and traditional crafting techniques - that would have been the same hundreds of years ago when she was originally built - to identify damage to the vessel (pictured)

Type 45 destroyers are the most recent and advanced class of ships built by the navy. They replaced the previous Type 42 models.

Type 45s are also known as D, or Daring-class, are were primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare. 

HMS Defender is one of the newest commissioned ships in the Royal Navy fleet, recently deployed to the Gulf as part of the international coalition against ISIL.

Teams of shipbuilders and engineers have been able to examine and compare aspects of both vessels, to look at how things have evolved on the seas, and below decks.

BAE Systems is working on both the completed construction and maintenance of Type 45 vessels, and also the ongoing conservation of HMS Victory.

Using laser imaging techniques, naval engineers have been able to get under the skin of HMS Victory (pictured) - the oldest commissioned warship in the world - allowing them to draw direct comparisons between the vessel and Type 45 Destroyer HMS Defender

BAE Systems is working on both the completed construction and maintenance of Type 45 vessels, including HMS Defender (pictured) and also the ongoing conservation of HMS Victory. While at sea, HMS Victory would have displaced 3,500 tonnes, making it twice as light as HMS Defender that displaces 8,000 tonnes

The 249-year-old ship's £50 million conservation program has seen experts from BAE Systems using both advanced laser diagrams and traditional crafting techniques - that would have been the same hundreds of years ago when she was originally built - to identify damage to the vessel and help restore it for another decade.

Whilst out at sea, Admiral Nelson's flagship would have displaced 3,500 tonnes in the water, making it twice as light as HMS Defender which displaces 8,000 tonnes of seawater by comparison.

Despite this, HMS Defender would be the more agile of the two in battle, using its twin WR21 Gas Turbine engines - each capable of lighting the city of Leicester - to hit a top speed of 30 knots (55 km/h).

This is compared to the eight to nine knots (15 km/h) top speed offered by the 37 sails on the wooden masts of HMS Victory.

This graphic shows how the two vessels compare in terms of length, crew size, cost and armament

The researchers used a Leica HDS6000 scanner capable of measuring at a density of 1mm. They could then use these high-resolution scans to create detailed images for detailed surface modelling. Areas of the ship can be enhanced, rotated, labelled and annotated using specialist software

At 227ft (69 metres) in length, HMS Victory is half the size of the 500ft (152 metre) Type 45, and comprised of eight decks as opposed to HMS Defender's 13 levels.

Despite this vast difference in size however, HMS Victory had a crew of 850 seamen, while HMS Defender's crew only numbers less than a quarter of that, with 190 crew members on board.

James Davis, Naval Base Services Director at BAE Systems said: 'Being able to use innovative technology to compare these two iconic warships has been fascinating.

'The new research provides an unprecedented level of insight into the power of HMS Victory, and life on board. 

Part of the 3D fly-through revealed every nook and cranny of the historic ship. This scan was taken from on top bowsprit of the HMS Victory. The bowsprit extends 110ft from the ship's head

At 227ft (69 metres) in length, HMS Victory (left) is half the size of the 500ft (152 metre) Type 45, and is comprised of eight decks as opposed to HMS Defender's (right) 13 levels. Despite this vast difference in size, HMS Victory had a crew of 850 seamen, while HMS Defender's crew consists of 190 members

'By comparing the findings of the research with the Type 45 vessels, we can see that over the passage of more than two centuries, British naval engineering continues to go from strength to strength.'

Philip Nash, Commanding Officer of HMS Defender, added: 'Type 45 is the world's most advanced warship, just as HMS Victory was in its time.

'It is thanks to new research techniques that we are able to look back and marvel at the power of the British naval forces when HMS Victory was in service, and also see just how British naval engineering has evolved - promising a bright future for our Royal Navy.'

FROM THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR TO RESTORATION: HMS VICTORY 

HMS Victory has 37 sails flown from three masts and would carry 23 spares during battle (illustrated)

HMS Victory was launched in 1765 at a cost of £67,000 in modern-day figures - the equivalent to building an aircraft carrier.

She was built from 6,000 trees, 90 per cent of which were oak - the equivalent of 100 acres of woodlands.

The HMS Victory has 37 sails flown from three masts and it would carry 23 spare sails during battle.

The total sail area is 6,510 square yards.

The Bowsprit protrudes 110ft (33 metres) from the ship's head.

The Fore mast is 182ft (55 metres) above the waterline, the Main mast extends 250ft (76 metres), the Mizzen mast is 152ft (46 metres) and the Main yard is 102ft tall (31 metres).

A total of 26 miles of cords were used to rig the ship and this was used with 768 blocks, made from elm or ash, were used for the rigging. A further 628 blocks were used for the guns.

Many other blocks were carried for the ground tackle, the ship's boats, storing and spares.

Her top speed is eight to nine knots (15 km/h).

HMS Victory first saw battle in 1778 under Admiral Augustus Keppel in the first Battle of Ushant and again two years later in the second Battle of Ushant.

She was also called into action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, but she will always be best known for her pivotal role in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar under Admiral Lord Nelson.

The battle was a decisive victory for the British but Nelson was fatally wounded.

She continues to be flagship of the Second Sea Lord and is the oldest naval ship still in commission - this means if she was needed the Navy could sail her into battle.

This 3D scan shows the Victory's famous stern. The lines seen on the gallery and along the port and starboard of the ship were based on the design of the HMS Royal George - launched the same year as the Victory, in 1765