Leander class frigate
Encyclopedia
The Leander class, or Type 12I frigates
Type 12 frigate
Type 12 frigate can refer to several ship classes. It most commonly describes the common design of three ship classes of the Royal Navy designed during the 1950s and constructed during the 1960s....
, comprising twenty-six vessels, was among the most numerous and long-lived classes of frigate in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's modern history. The class was built in three batches between 1959 and 1973. It had an unusually high public profile, due to the popular and acclaimed Warship
Warship (TV series)
Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as Alle hens...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama series.
The Leander design or derivatives of it were built for other navies:
- Royal New Zealand NavyRoyal New Zealand NavyThe Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
as the Leander class - Chilean NavyChilean Navy-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
: Condell classCondell class frigateThe Condell class was the name given to a class of two new build and upgraded type Leander class frigates of the Chilean Navy, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch. They were ordered by the Chilean government in 1969 as ASW frigates. The ships were built between 1969 and 1973, under Chilean... - Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
: River classRiver class destroyer escortThe River class was a class of six destroyer escorts operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Plans to acquire four vessels, based on the British Type 12M frigate, began in the 1950s. The first two vessels had some slight modifications to the design, while the next two underwent further changes... - Indian NavyIndian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
: Nilgiri class - Royal Netherlands NavyRoyal Netherlands NavyThe Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
: Van Speijk classVan Speijk class frigateThe Van Speijk class frigate were built for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1960s. They were versions of the British Leander class frigates with Dutch radars. The British design was chosen in order to enable rapid construction in order to replace elderly destroyer escorts. The ships were...
Design
On 7 March 1960, the Civil Lord of the Admiralty C. Ian Orr-EwingIan Orr-Ewing
Ian Orr-Ewing, Baron Orr-Ewing OBE CEng MIEE was a British Conservative politician.Orr-Ewing was a great-grandson of Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing, Bt. and was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Oxford...
stated that the "Type 12 "Whitby" class anti-submarine frigates
Whitby class frigate
The Type 12 frigates of the Whitby class were a six-ship class of anti-submarine warfare frigates of the Royal Navy that entered service late in the 1950s. They were designed as first rate ocean-going convoy escorts in light of experience gained during World War II...
are proving particularly successful... and we have decided to exploit their good qualities in an improved and more versatile ship. This improved Type 12 will be known as the Leander class. The hull and steam turbine machinery will be substantially the same as for the Whitbys. The main new features planned are a long-range air warning radar, the Seacat anti-aircraft guided missile, improved anti-submarine detection equipment and a light-weight helicopter armed with homing torpedoes. We shall also introduce air conditioning and better living conditions." The 1963 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships described it a "mainly anti-submarine but flexible and all purpose type".
"The Leander class have the same hull and substantially the same steam turbine machinery as the Whitby class, but are a revised and advanced design and will fulfil a composite anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and air direction role. The 40mm guns will eventually be replaced by Seacat ship-to-air launchers. The ships are equipped with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar), formerly known as dipping asdic."
The Y160 boiler variant used on the Batch 3 Leanders (such as Jupiter
HMS Jupiter (F60)
HMS Jupiter was a Batch 3 Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology...
) also incorporated steam atomisation equipment on the fuel supply so the diesel fuel entering the boilers via the three main burners was atomised into a fine spray for better flame efficiency. The superheat temperature of the Y160 was controlled manually by the Boiler Room Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
of the Watch between 750–850 °F (398.9–454.4 °C) and the steam supplied to the main turbines was at a pressure of 550 psi (3,792.1 kPa). The Leander class frigates did have Babcock and Wilcock boilers but of a more conventional two-drum design, one water drum and one steam drum, much like a Yarrow boiler
Yarrow boiler
Yarrow boilers are an important class of high-pressure water-tube boilers. They were developed byYarrows and were widely used on ships, particularly warships....
without the second water drum. The water drum was offset to one side and below the furnace and steam drum. The two boilers fitted were 'handed' with the water drum outboard on both. Many Leanders had seven burner furnaces and the output was varied by altering the number of burners in use.
Construction Programme
Royal Navy| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | (a) Hull builder (b) Main machinery manufacturers |
Laid down | Launched | Accepted into service | Commissioned | Estimated building cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 10, Y-100 machinery | ||||||||
| F109 | Leander HMS Leander (F109) HMS Leander was the nameship of the of the Royal Navy . She was originally intended to be part of the and would have been known as Weymouth. Leander was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. She was built by the famous Harland & Wolff of Belfast... |
(a) & (b) Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... . |
10 April 1959 | 28 June 1961 | March 1963 | 27 March 1963 | £4,630,000 | |
| F104 | Dido HMS Dido (F104) HMS Dido was a Royal Navy Leander class Batch 2TA frigate. Entering service in 1961, Dido was involved in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, served with NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic on several occasions, and was one of the frigates used for the filming of the drama series... |
(a) & (b) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow Scotstoun Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south... . |
2 December 1959 | 22 December 1961 | September 1963 | 18 September 1963 | £4,600,000 | |
| F127 | Penelope HMS Penelope (F127) HMS Penelope was a of the Royal Navy. Like other ships of the class, Penelope was named after a figure of mythology. HMS Penelope was launched on 17 August 1962 and commissioned on 31 October 1963... |
(a) Vickers-Armstrongs (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle (b) Vickers-Armstrongs (Engineers) Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness |
14 March 1961 | 17 August 1962 | November 1963 | 31 October 1963 | £4,600,000 | |
| F114 | Ajax HMS Ajax (F114) HMS Ajax was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by the famous Cammell Laird company of Birkenhead. Ajax was launched on 16 August 1962 and commissioned on 10 December 1963... |
(a) & (b) Cammell Laird & Co (Shipbuilders and Engineers) Ltd, Birkenhead Birkenhead Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool... . |
19 October 1959 | 16 August 1962 | December 1963 | 10 December 1963 | £4,800,000 | |
| F10 | Aurora HMS Aurora (F10) HMS Aurora was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like other ships of the class, Aurora was named after a figure of mythology, Aurora being the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Eos. HMS Aurora was built by John Brown & Company, shipbuilders of Clydebank, Scotland... |
(a) & (b) John Brown & Co Ltd John Brown & Company John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the... , Clydebank Clydebank Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and... |
1 June 1961 | 28 November 1962 | April 1964 | 9 April 1964 | £4,650,000 | |
| F18 | Galatea HMS Galatea (F18) HMS Galatea was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham on the Tyne. She was launched on the 23 May 1963 and commissioned on the 25 April 1964. She was nicknamed the "Black Pig".... |
(a) Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne Wallsend Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:... (b) The Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne (steam turbines) (b) Parsons Marine Turbines Co Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne (gearing). |
29 December 1961 | 23 May 1963 | April 1964 | 25 April 1964 | £4,500,000 | |
| F15 | Euryalus HMS Euryalus (F15) HMS Euryalus was a of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Euryalus was named after a figure of mythology. Euryalus was built by Scotts Shipbuilders of Greenock... |
(a) Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock Greenock Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland... (b) Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd (steam turbines) (b) Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Glasgow (gearing). |
2 November 1961 | 6 June 1963 | September 1964 | 16 September 1964 | £4,350,000 | |
| F39 | Naiad HMS Naiad (F39) HMS Naiad was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Naiad was named after a figure or figures of mythology, in this case the Naiads of Greek mythology. Naiad was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (steam turbines) (b) Parsons Marine Turbines Co Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne (gearing). |
30 October 1962 | 4 November 1963 | March 1965 | 15 March 1965 | £4,750,000 | |
| F38 | Arethusa HMS Arethusa (F38) HMS Arethusa was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the Leanders, named after a figure of mythology. Arethusa was built by J.S. White & Company Shipbuilders of Cowes... |
(a) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight Cowes Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank... (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) Parsons Marine Turbines Co Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne (gearing). |
7 September 1962 | 5 November 1963 | November 1965 | 24 November 1965 | £4,850,000 | |
| F28 | Cleopatra HMS Cleopatra (F28) HMS Cleopatra was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Cleopatra was built at HMNB Devonport. She was launched on the 25th March 1964 and commissioned on the 4th January 1966.... |
(a) HM Dockyard HMNB Devonport Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England... , Devonport Devonport, Devon Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889... (b) Cammell Laird & Co (Shipbuilders & Engineers) Ltd, Birkenhead (turbines) (b) John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank (gearing). |
19 June 1963 | 25 March 1964 | February 1966 | 4 January 1966 | £5,300,000 | |
| Second 6, Y-136 machinery | ||||||||
| F42 | Phoebe HMS Phoebe (F42) HMS Phoebe was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Built by Vickers on the River Tyne, she was launched on the 19th December 1964 and commissioned on the 15th May 1966.In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in... |
(a) Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse Linthouse Linthouse is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. It is immediately west of Govan, and although it is often referred to locally as 'Govan' due to its closeness, it is in fact a distinct area .Linthouse was home to the shipbuilder... , Glasgow (b) Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow (steam turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing). |
3 June 1963 | 8 July 1964 | April 1966 | 15 April 1966 | £4,750,000 | |
| F45 | Minerva HMS Minerva (F45) HMS Minerva was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong. She was launched on the 19 December 1964, and commissioned on 14 May 1966.... |
(a) Vickers Ltd, Shipbuilding Group, Newcastle (b) Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow (steam turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing). |
26 July 1963 | 19 December 1964 | May 1966 | 14 May 1966 | £4,700,000 | |
| F40 | Sirius HMS Sirius (F40) HMS Sirius was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy built by H.M. Dockyard Portsmouth, and was the penultimate RN warship to be built there for a period of forty years, until Vosper Thorneycroft built HMS Clyde... |
(a) HM Dockyard HMNB Portsmouth Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy... , Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing). |
9 August 1963 | 22 September 1964 | June 1966 | 15 June 1966 | £5,600,000 | |
| F52 | Juno HMS Juno (F52) HMS Juno was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Juno was named after a figure of mythology. She was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire... |
(a) JI Thornycroft Ltd, Southampton John I. Thornycroft & Company John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:... (b) JI Thornycroft Ltd, Southampton (steam turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing) |
16 July 1964 | 24 November 1965 | July 1967 | 18 July 1967 | £5,020,000 | |
| F56 | Argonaut HMS Argonaut (F56) HMS Argonaut was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company of Hebburn. She was launched on 8 February 1966 and commissioned on 17 August 1967.On 31 March 1993, Argonaut was decommissioned... |
(a) Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn Hebburn Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay... (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing). |
27 November 1964 | 8 February 1966 | September 1967 | 17 August 1967 | £5,000,000 | |
| F47 | Danae HMS Danae (F47) HMS Danae was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Danae was built by Devonport Dockyard... |
(a) HM Dockyard, Devonport (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) Fairfields (Glasgow) Ltd (gearing). |
16 December 1964 | 31 October 1965 | October 1967 | 7 September 1967 | £5,720,000 | |
| Broad-beamed Leander Y-160 machinery | ||||||||
| F75 | Charybdis HMS Charybdis (F75) HMS Charybdis was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by the Harland & Wolff company of Belfast, and was the last ship to be built there for British naval forces until RFA Fort Victoria of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, was launched in 1990. Charybdis was launched on the 28th... |
(a) Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast (b) Vickers Ltd, Engineering Group, Barrow-in-Furness. |
27 January 1967 | 28 February 1968 | June 1969 | 2 June 1969 | £6,330,000 | |
| F58 | Hermione HMS Hermione (F58) HMS Hermione was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Hermione was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, though she was completed by Yarrow Shipbuilders... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) Alex Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow (steam turbines) (b) Vickers Ltd, Engineering Group, Barrow-in-Furness (gearing). |
6 December 1965 | 26 April 1967 | July 1969 | 11 July 1969 | £6,400,000 | |
| F60 | Jupiter HMS Jupiter (F60) HMS Jupiter was a Batch 3 Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) Vickers Ltd, Engineering Group, Barrow-in-Furness (gearing). |
3 October 1966 | 4 September 1967 | August 1969 | 9 August 1969 | £6,100,000 | |
| F69 | Bacchante HMS Bacchante (F69) HMS Bacchante was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. Bacchante was built by Vickers on the Tyne, launched on 29 February 1968 and commissioned on 17 October 1969.... |
(a) Vickers Ltd, Shipbuilding Group, Newcastle (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) Vickers Ltd, Engineering Group, Barrow-in-Furness (gearing). |
27 October 1966 | 29 February 1968 | October 1969 | 17 October 1969 | £6,200,000 | |
| F57 | Andromeda HMS Andromeda (F57) HMS Andromeda was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at HM Dockyard Portsmouth, the last ship to be built at that prestigious dockyard that had built the revolutionary... |
(a) HM Dockyard, Portsmouth (b) JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight (steam turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd, Huddersfield (gearing). |
25 May 1966 | 24 May 1967 | December 1969 | 2 December 1968 | £6,700,000 | |
| F71 | Scylla HMS Scylla (F71) HMS Scylla was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard and was the last RN frigate to be built at the Dockyard so far. Scylla was launched in August 1968 and commissioned in 1970... |
(a) HM Dockyard, Devonport (b) JS White & Co Ltd (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd (gearing). |
17 May 1967 | 8 August 1968 | February 1970 | 12 February 1970 | £6,600,000 | |
| F12 | Achilles HMS Achilles (F12) HMS Achilles was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow at Glasgow. She was launched on 21 November 1968 and commissioned on 9 July 1970. Unlike other ships, Achilles would not undergo Exocet modernisation due to the 1981 defence review by John Nott... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) JS White & Co Ltd (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd (gearing). |
1 December 1967 | 21 November 1968 | July 1970 | 9 July 1970 | £6,270,000 | |
| F16 | Diomede HMS Diomede (F16) HMS Diomede was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Glasgow. Diomede was launched on 15 April 1969 and commissioned on 2 April 1971... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) JS White & Co Ltd (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd (gearing). |
30 January 1968 | 15 April 1969 | April 1971 | 2 April 1971 | £5,980,000 | |
| F70 | Apollo HMS Apollo (F70) HMS Apollo was a Batch 3B Broadbeam Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Apollo was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) JS White & Co Ltd (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd (gearing). |
1 May 1969 | 15 October 1970 | 10 June 1972 | 28 May 1972 | £6,573,000 | |
| F72 | Ariadne HMS Ariadne (F72) HMS Ariadne was a Leander class frigate of the Royal Navy .-Construction:Ariadne was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun and was the last of the Leander class to be completed, and the last warship to be built for the RN powered by steam... |
(a) Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow (b) JS White & Co Ltd (turbines) (b) David Brown & Co Ltd (gearing). |
1 November 1969 | 10 September 1971 | 10 February 1973 | 10 February 1973 | £6,576,000 | |
Batch 1, Ikara conversion
Ikara (missile)
The Ikara missile was an Australian ship-launched anti-submarine missile, named after an Australian Aboriginal word for "throwing stick". It launched an acoustic torpedo to a range of , allowing fast-reaction attacks against submarines at ranges that would otherwise require the launching ship to...
" conversion, which gave them the Ikara anti-submarine warfare missile.
| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | Commissioned | conversion | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place undertaken | Started | Completed | Cost | |||
| Batch 1A | ||||||
| F109 | Leander HMS Leander (F109) HMS Leander was the nameship of the of the Royal Navy . She was originally intended to be part of the and would have been known as Weymouth. Leander was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. She was built by the famous Harland & Wolff of Belfast... |
27 March 1963 | Devonport | 8 June 1970 | 12 January 1973 | £7,587,000 |
| F114 | Ajax HMS Ajax (F114) HMS Ajax was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by the famous Cammell Laird company of Birkenhead. Ajax was launched on 16 August 1962 and commissioned on 10 December 1963... |
10 December 1963 | Devonport | 19 October 1970 | 7 February 1974 | £8,269,000 |
| F18 | Galatea HMS Galatea (F18) HMS Galatea was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham on the Tyne. She was launched on the 23 May 1963 and commissioned on the 25 April 1964. She was nicknamed the "Black Pig".... |
25 April 1964 | Devonport | 4 October 1971 | 6 September 1974 | £9,217,000 |
| Batch 1B | ||||||
| F10 | Aurora HMS Aurora (F10) HMS Aurora was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like other ships of the class, Aurora was named after a figure of mythology, Aurora being the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Eos. HMS Aurora was built by John Brown & Company, shipbuilders of Clydebank, Scotland... |
9 April 1964 | Chatham | 4 December 1974 | 27 February 1976 | £15,580,000 |
| F39 | Naiad HMS Naiad (F39) HMS Naiad was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Naiad was named after a figure or figures of mythology, in this case the Naiads of Greek mythology. Naiad was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun... |
15 March 1965 | Devonport | 15 January 1973 | 20 June 1975 | £10,410,000 |
| F15 | Euryalus HMS Euryalus (F15) HMS Euryalus was a of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Euryalus was named after a figure of mythology. Euryalus was built by Scotts Shipbuilders of Greenock... |
16 September 1964 | Devonport | 7 May 1973 | 12 March 1976 | £12,127,000 |
| F38 | Arethusa HMS Arethusa (F38) HMS Arethusa was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the Leanders, named after a figure of mythology. Arethusa was built by J.S. White & Company Shipbuilders of Cowes... |
24 November 1965 | Portsmouth | 10 September 1973 | 7 April 1977 | £16,585,000 |
| F104 | Dido HMS Dido (F104) HMS Dido was a Royal Navy Leander class Batch 2TA frigate. Entering service in 1961, Dido was involved in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, served with NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic on several occasions, and was one of the frigates used for the filming of the drama series... |
18 September 1963 | Devonport | 7 July 1975 | 27 October 1978 | £23,006,000 |
Batch 2, Exocet conversion
Two of the Leanders with Y-100 machinery, and five out of the six with Y-136 machinery, were given the so-called "Batch 2" or "Exocet" conversion. This conversion gave them Exocet anti-shipping missiles, and the ability to operate the Lynx helicopter.| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | Commissioned | Exocet conversion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place undertaken | Started | Completion date | Cost ("Outturn") |
||||
| Planned | Actual | ||||||
| Batch 2A | |||||||
| F28 | Cleopatra HMS Cleopatra (F28) HMS Cleopatra was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Cleopatra was built at HMNB Devonport. She was launched on the 25th March 1964 and commissioned on the 4th January 1966.... |
4 January 1966 | Devonport | 23 July 1973 | 19 December 1975 | £13,820,000 | |
| F42 | Phoebe HMS Phoebe (F42) HMS Phoebe was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Built by Vickers on the River Tyne, she was launched on the 19th December 1964 and commissioned on the 15th May 1966.In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in... |
15 April 1966 | Devonport | 5 August 1974 | 28 April 1977 | £18,204,000 | |
| F40 | Sirius HMS Sirius (F40) HMS Sirius was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy built by H.M. Dockyard Portsmouth, and was the penultimate RN warship to be built there for a period of forty years, until Vosper Thorneycroft built HMS Clyde... |
15 June 1966 | Devonport | 10 March 1975 | 10 February 1978 | £21,598,000 | |
| F45 | Minerva HMS Minerva (F45) HMS Minerva was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong. She was launched on the 19 December 1964, and commissioned on 14 May 1966.... |
14 May 1966 | Chatham | 1 December 1975 | 11 April 1979 | £31,575,000 | |
| Batch 2B | |||||||
| F56 | Argonaut HMS Argonaut (F56) HMS Argonaut was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company of Hebburn. She was launched on 8 February 1966 and commissioned on 17 August 1967.On 31 March 1993, Argonaut was decommissioned... |
17 August 1967 | Devonport | 23 February 1976 | 28 March 1980 | £30,262,000 | |
| F47 | Danae HMS Danae (F47) HMS Danae was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Danae was built by Devonport Dockyard... |
7 September 1967 | Devonport | 1 August 1977 | 8 April 1981 | £39,279,000 | |
| F127 | Penelope HMS Penelope (F127) HMS Penelope was a of the Royal Navy. Like other ships of the class, Penelope was named after a figure of mythology. HMS Penelope was launched on 17 August 1962 and commissioned on 31 October 1963... |
31 October 1963 | Devonport | 30 January 1978 | November 1981 | 15 January 1982 | £47,687,000 |
| F52 | Juno HMS Juno (F52) HMS Juno was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Juno was named after a figure of mythology. She was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire... |
18 July 1967 | Exocet conversion cancelled. | ||||
Batch 2, navigational training ship conversion
Juno, commissioned 18 July 1967 was converted to serve as a navigational training ship. Work at Rosyth began in January 1982 and completed in February 1985.Batch 3, Seawolf conversion
| Name (Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... ) |
Commissioned | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place undertaken | Started | Completion date | Cost ("Outturn") |
||||
| Planned | Actual | ||||||
| Andromeda HMS Andromeda (F57) HMS Andromeda was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at HM Dockyard Portsmouth, the last ship to be built at that prestigious dockyard that had built the revolutionary... F57 |
2 December 1968 | Devonport | 3 January 1978 | 6 February 1981 | £59,990,000 | ||
| Charybdis HMS Charybdis (F75) HMS Charybdis was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by the Harland & Wolff company of Belfast, and was the last ship to be built there for British naval forces until RFA Fort Victoria of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, was launched in 1990. Charybdis was launched on the 28th... F75 |
2 June 1969 | Devonport | 25 June 1979 | June 1982 | 16 July 1982 | £61,581,000 | |
| Jupiter HMS Jupiter (F60) HMS Jupiter was a Batch 3 Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology... F60 |
9 August 1969 | Devonport | 28 January 1980 | July 1983 | 14 October 1983 | †£68,348,000 | |
| Hermione HMS Hermione (F58) HMS Hermione was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Hermione was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, though she was completed by Yarrow Shipbuilders... F58 |
11 July 1969 | Chatham/Devonport | 14 January 1980 | January 1983 | 8 December 1983 | †£79,692,000 | |
| Scylla HMS Scylla (F71) HMS Scylla was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard and was the last RN frigate to be built at the Dockyard so far. Scylla was launched in August 1968 and commissioned in 1970... F71 |
12 February 1970 | Devonport | 10 November 1980 | September 1983 | December 1984 | †£79,278,000 | |
† = Latest estimate as at 14 December 1983.
Batch 2 TA & Batch 1B - towed array conversions
The former destroyer Matapan
HMS Matapan (D43)
HMS Matapan was a later or 1943 Battle-class fleet destroyer of the Royal Navy . She was named after the Battle of Cape Matapan between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina, and which ended in a decisive victory for the RN force, resulting in the destruction of three cruisers and two destroyers of...
and the frigate Lowestoft
HMS Lowestoft (F103)
HMS Lowestoft was a Rothesay or Type 12 class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. HMS Lowestoft was sunk, as a target, on June 8, 1986 by using a Tigerfish torpedo. She was the last Royal Naval target to be sunk still displaying its pennant number....
were used for testing prototypes in 1978-81. It was planned to install them on Rothesay conversions
Rothesay class frigate
The Rothesay class, or Type 12M frigates were a class of frigates serving with the Royal Navy, South African Navy and the New Zealand Navy....
, but this was not possible due to industrial strikes. Scheduling then made it easier to fit them on board four of the Batch II Leanders. "Compensation for the additional 70 tons of top weight included lowering the Exocet launchers. This interesting quartet was to have been followed by five Batch III Leanders, but the latter fell foul of the Nott
John Nott
Sir John William Frederic Nott KCB is a former British Conservative Party politician prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
cancellations. A fifth Leander, the Ikara-carrying HMS Arethusa, was fitted with a towed array in 1985, the year the towed-array trials ship Lowestoft was withdrawn from service."
Admiral Sir Julian Oswald
Julian Oswald
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Julian Robertson Oswald GCB was a British naval officer who served as Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
said to the Defence Committee in 1989, "in order to capitalise on the really very exciting and important development of towed arrays, we had to get them to sea as soon as we could. The only sensible, cost-effective option open to us was to take some relatively older ships - the Leanders - and convert them quickly to the towed array. We have done that with great success, and the peacetime patrols have achieved some remarkable results, but there has been a price to pay because of the age of those ships."
In general, "as a ship gets older it tends to get noisier - the hull and also the propulsion system". Admiral Sir Julian Oswald spoke "to counter the presumption that older ships get noisier. That is not necessarily true and it is not true, in my experience, in the case of the Leanders because understanding of ship generated noise is improving all the time and our techniques for countering it are improving - our noise monitoring and so on - so, despite the fact that these ships are getting older, they are in many cases managing to improve their performance with regard to ship noise." Captain Geoffrey Biggs
Geoffrey Biggs
Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey William Roger Biggs KCB is a former Royal Navy officer who became Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet.-Naval career:...
said "the Leanders are remarkably quiet in operation and our experience has been that they have made excellent towed-array platforms despite the rather short notice of actually getting the towed-array programme together to start with. They actually perform very well."
Five ships were converted to use Waverley Type 2031Z towed array (passive search very low frequency). They were as follows:
| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | Commissioned | Refit when towed array fitted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Completed | ||||||
| Batch 2A Exocet Leander (Batch 2TA) | |||||||
| F42 | Phoebe HMS Phoebe (F42) HMS Phoebe was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Built by Vickers on the River Tyne, she was launched on the 19th December 1964 and commissioned on the 15th May 1966.In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in... |
15 April 1966 | February 1981 | July 1982 | |||
| F28 | Cleopatra HMS Cleopatra (F28) HMS Cleopatra was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Cleopatra was built at HMNB Devonport. She was launched on the 25th March 1964 and commissioned on the 4th January 1966.... |
4 January 1966 | January 1982 | April 1983 | |||
| F56 | Argonaut HMS Argonaut (F56) HMS Argonaut was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company of Hebburn. She was launched on 8 February 1966 and commissioned on 17 August 1967.On 31 March 1993, Argonaut was decommissioned... |
17 August 1967 | August 1982 | November 1983 | |||
| F40 | Sirius HMS Sirius (F40) HMS Sirius was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy built by H.M. Dockyard Portsmouth, and was the penultimate RN warship to be built there for a period of forty years, until Vosper Thorneycroft built HMS Clyde... |
15 June 1966 | April 1985 | December 1985 | |||
| Batch 1B Ikara Leander | |||||||
| F38 | Arethusa HMS Arethusa (F38) HMS Arethusa was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the Leanders, named after a figure of mythology. Arethusa was built by J.S. White & Company Shipbuilders of Cowes... |
24 November 1965 | May 1985 | February 1986 | |||
RN service
The ships performed excellently in RN service, with relatively low noise levels giving the 2031(I) towed sonar mounted during the 1970s a range of more than 100 miles, better than that of the more advanced 2031(Z) sonar when fitted in the Type 22 classType 22 frigate
The Type 22 Broadsword class is a class of frigate built for the British Royal Navy. Fourteen of the class were built in total, with production divided into three batches. With the decommissioning of HMS Cornwall on 30 June 2011, the final Type 22 of the Royal Navy was retired from service...
. However, all Leanders in RN service were decommissioned by the early 1990s due to the ships' aging design and the high number of crew. HMS Scylla was sunk 27 March 2004 as an artificial reef off Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, ten years after her decommissioning in 1994.
Running costs
| Date | Running cost | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| 1972-73 | £250,000 | Average annual maintenance cost per vessel for Leander class frigates |
| 1980-81 | £6 million | Average current cost for a normal refit of a Leander class frigate. |
| 1981-82 | £6.8 million | Average annual running cost of Leander frigates at average 1981–82 prices and including associated aircraft costs but excluding the costs of major refits. |
| 1985-86 | £6.5 million | The average cost of running and maintaining a Leander class frigate for one year. |
| 1987-88 | £3.8 million | The average annual operating costs, at financial year 1987-88 prices of a Leander class frigate. These costs include personnel, fuel, spares and so on, and administrative support services, but exclude new construction, capital equipment, and refit-repair costs. |
Overseas Service
Leander class frigates were also successfully exported to serve in the Royal New Zealand NavyRoyal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
and Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
; in the latter they were designated as the Condell class
Condell class frigate
The Condell class was the name given to a class of two new build and upgraded type Leander class frigates of the Chilean Navy, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch. They were ordered by the Chilean government in 1969 as ASW frigates. The ships were built between 1969 and 1973, under Chilean...
. Further Leander class frigates were built under licence
Licence-built
The term licence-built refers to an object manufactured by one organisation with the authorisation of the organisation that owns the intellectual property of the design...
in Australia as the River class
River class destroyer escort
The River class was a class of six destroyer escorts operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Plans to acquire four vessels, based on the British Type 12M frigate, began in the 1950s. The first two vessels had some slight modifications to the design, while the next two underwent further changes...
for the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as the Nilgiri class and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
as the Van Speijk class
Van Speijk class frigate
The Van Speijk class frigate were built for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1960s. They were versions of the British Leander class frigates with Dutch radars. The British design was chosen in order to enable rapid construction in order to replace elderly destroyer escorts. The ships were...
. Royal Navy ships were sold to the navies of Chile, Ecuador
Ecuadorian Navy
The Ecuadorian Navy is responsible for the surveillance and protection of national maritime territory and has a personnel of 7,258 men to protect a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into the Pacific Ocean...
, New Zealand (Bacchante
HMS Bacchante (F69)
HMS Bacchante was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. Bacchante was built by Vickers on the Tyne, launched on 29 February 1968 and commissioned on 17 October 1969....
becoming HMNZS Wellington and Dido
HMS Dido (F104)
HMS Dido was a Royal Navy Leander class Batch 2TA frigate. Entering service in 1961, Dido was involved in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, served with NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic on several occasions, and was one of the frigates used for the filming of the drama series...
becoming HMNZS Southland), India and Pakistan
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
.
Some Leanders remain in service with foreign navies, remaining in service with Ecuador, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesian Navy
The role of the Indonesian Navy is to patrol of Indonesia's immense coastline, to ensure safeguard the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone , to protect Indonesia's maritime strategic interests, to protect the islands surrounded Indonesia and to defend against seaborne threats. The TNI...
(former Van Speijk class). Pakistan decommissioned the last of its Leander class frigates, PNS Zulfiqar, in January 2007,
HMNZS Canterbury, the last steam-turbine driven Leander class frigate in the Royal New Zealand Navy, was decommissioned in Auckland on 31 March 2005 after 33 years operational service. In 2006 it was announced that the ship was to be sunk as a dive attraction in the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
, and this was carried out on 3 November 2007 at Deep Water Cove.
Fate
Royal Navy| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | Commissioned | Major refits | Fate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch 1 (Ikara conversion) | ||||||||
| F109 | Leander HMS Leander (F109) HMS Leander was the nameship of the of the Royal Navy . She was originally intended to be part of the and would have been known as Weymouth. Leander was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. She was built by the famous Harland & Wolff of Belfast... |
27 March 1963 | Sunk as target 1989 | |||||
| F104 | Dido HMS Dido (F104) HMS Dido was a Royal Navy Leander class Batch 2TA frigate. Entering service in 1961, Dido was involved in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, served with NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic on several occasions, and was one of the frigates used for the filming of the drama series... |
18 September 1963 | To New Zealand as HMNZS Southland 1983, paid out 1995 and sold for scrap | |||||
| F114 | Ajax HMS Ajax (F114) HMS Ajax was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by the famous Cammell Laird company of Birkenhead. Ajax was launched on 16 August 1962 and commissioned on 10 December 1963... |
10 December 1963 | Scrapped 1988 | |||||
| F10 | Aurora HMS Aurora (F10) HMS Aurora was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like other ships of the class, Aurora was named after a figure of mythology, Aurora being the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Eos. HMS Aurora was built by John Brown & Company, shipbuilders of Clydebank, Scotland... |
9 April 1964 | Scrapped 1990 | |||||
| F18 | Galatea HMS Galatea (F18) HMS Galatea was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham on the Tyne. She was launched on the 23 May 1963 and commissioned on the 25 April 1964. She was nicknamed the "Black Pig".... |
25 April 1964 | Sunk as target 1988 | |||||
| F15 | Euryalus HMS Euryalus (F15) HMS Euryalus was a of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Euryalus was named after a figure of mythology. Euryalus was built by Scotts Shipbuilders of Greenock... |
16 September 1964 | Sold for scrap 1990 | |||||
| F39 | Naiad HMS Naiad (F39) HMS Naiad was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Naiad was named after a figure or figures of mythology, in this case the Naiads of Greek mythology. Naiad was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun... |
15 March 1965 | Sunk as target 1990 | |||||
| F38 | Arethusa HMS Arethusa (F38) HMS Arethusa was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the Leanders, named after a figure of mythology. Arethusa was built by J.S. White & Company Shipbuilders of Cowes... |
24 November 1965 | Sunk as target 1991 | |||||
| Batch 2 (Exocet conversion) | ||||||||
| F127 | Penelope HMS Penelope (F127) HMS Penelope was a of the Royal Navy. Like other ships of the class, Penelope was named after a figure of mythology. HMS Penelope was launched on 17 August 1962 and commissioned on 31 October 1963... |
31 October 1963 | To Ecuador 1991 as Presidente Eloy Alfaro. | |||||
| F28 | Cleopatra HMS Cleopatra (F28) HMS Cleopatra was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Cleopatra was built at HMNB Devonport. She was launched on the 25th March 1964 and commissioned on the 4th January 1966.... |
4 January 1966 | Sold for scrap 1993 | |||||
| F42 | Phoebe HMS Phoebe (F42) HMS Phoebe was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Built by Vickers on the River Tyne, she was launched on the 19th December 1964 and commissioned on the 15th May 1966.In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in... |
15 April 1966 | Sold for scrap 1992 | |||||
| F45 | Minerva HMS Minerva (F45) HMS Minerva was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong. She was launched on the 19 December 1964, and commissioned on 14 May 1966.... |
14 May 1966 | Sold for scrap 1993 | |||||
| F40 | Sirius HMS Sirius (F40) HMS Sirius was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy built by H.M. Dockyard Portsmouth, and was the penultimate RN warship to be built there for a period of forty years, until Vosper Thorneycroft built HMS Clyde... |
15 June 1966 | Sunk as target 1998 | |||||
| F56 | Argonaut HMS Argonaut (F56) HMS Argonaut was a of the Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company of Hebburn. She was launched on 8 February 1966 and commissioned on 17 August 1967.On 31 March 1993, Argonaut was decommissioned... |
17 August 1967 | Sold for scrap 1995 | |||||
| F47 | Danae HMS Danae (F47) HMS Danae was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Danae was built by Devonport Dockyard... |
7 September 1967 | To Ecuador 1991 as Morán Valverde. She was decommissioned in 2008, and put up for sale in December 2009. | |||||
| Batch 2 | ||||||||
| F52 | Juno HMS Juno (F52) HMS Juno was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like the rest of the class, Juno was named after a figure of mythology. She was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire... |
18 July 1967 | Sold for scrap 1994 | |||||
| Batch 3A / broad-beamed Leander (Sea Wolf conversion) | ||||||||
| F75 | Charybdis HMS Charybdis (F75) HMS Charybdis was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by the Harland & Wolff company of Belfast, and was the last ship to be built there for British naval forces until RFA Fort Victoria of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, was launched in 1990. Charybdis was launched on the 28th... |
2 June 1969 | Sunk as target 1993 | |||||
| F58 | Hermione HMS Hermione (F58) HMS Hermione was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Hermione was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, though she was completed by Yarrow Shipbuilders... |
11 July 1969 | Sold for scrap 1997 | |||||
| F60 | Jupiter HMS Jupiter (F60) HMS Jupiter was a Batch 3 Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology... |
9 August 1969 | Sold for scrap 1997 | |||||
| F57 | Andromeda HMS Andromeda (F57) HMS Andromeda was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at HM Dockyard Portsmouth, the last ship to be built at that prestigious dockyard that had built the revolutionary... |
2 December 1968 | To India 1995 as training ship, Krishna. Still in service. | |||||
| F71 | Scylla HMS Scylla (F71) HMS Scylla was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard and was the last RN frigate to be built at the Dockyard so far. Scylla was launched in August 1968 and commissioned in 1970... |
12 February 1970 | Sunk as artificial reef off Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay, situated in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom runs from Rame Head in the east to Portwrinkle in the west. It is characterised by sheer, high cliffs, dramatic scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches... 2004 |
|||||
| Batch 3B / broad-beamed Leander | ||||||||
| F69 | Bacchante HMS Bacchante (F69) HMS Bacchante was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. Bacchante was built by Vickers on the Tyne, launched on 29 February 1968 and commissioned on 17 October 1969.... |
17 October 1969 | To New Zealand 1982 as Wellington, sunk as artificial reef in Cook Strait Cook Strait Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east.... 2005 |
|||||
| F12 | Achilles HMS Achilles (F12) HMS Achilles was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow at Glasgow. She was launched on 21 November 1968 and commissioned on 9 July 1970. Unlike other ships, Achilles would not undergo Exocet modernisation due to the 1981 defence review by John Nott... |
9 July 1970 | To Chile 1990 as Ministro Zenteno, sold out 2006 | |||||
| F16 | Diomede HMS Diomede (F16) HMS Diomede was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Glasgow. Diomede was launched on 15 April 1969 and commissioned on 2 April 1971... |
2 April 1971 | Extensive refit between 1991 and 1993. | To Pakistan 1988 as Shamsher (F 263), retired pre-2007 to salvage spare parts for F 262 PNS Zulfiqar. | ||||
| F70 | Apollo HMS Apollo (F70) HMS Apollo was a Batch 3B Broadbeam Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Apollo was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun... |
28 May 1972 | Extensive refit between 1991 and 1993. | To Pakistan 1988 as Zulfiquar (F 262), retired from Pakistani service 4 January 2007. Sunk as target 12 March 2010 | ||||
| F72 | Ariadne HMS Ariadne (F72) HMS Ariadne was a Leander class frigate of the Royal Navy .-Construction:Ariadne was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun and was the last of the Leander class to be completed, and the last warship to be built for the RN powered by steam... |
10 February 1973 | To Chile 1992 as General Baquedano, sunk as target 2004 | |||||
See also
- Whitby class frigateWhitby class frigateThe Type 12 frigates of the Whitby class were a six-ship class of anti-submarine warfare frigates of the Royal Navy that entered service late in the 1950s. They were designed as first rate ocean-going convoy escorts in light of experience gained during World War II...
the original Type 12 frigate. - Rothesay class frigateRothesay class frigateThe Rothesay class, or Type 12M frigates were a class of frigates serving with the Royal Navy, South African Navy and the New Zealand Navy....
the preceding Type 12M frigate. - WarshipWarship (TV series)Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as Alle hens...
, a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama series.
External links
- Archived comprehensive website on the design and history of the Leander class and related frigate designs
- Leander (Type 12) class frigate website
- Hazegray.org on the Leander class
- An unofficial Leander Class Frigate Site
- British Film Institute site on Warship
- Royal Navy leaflet on Warship, from the HMS Phoebe Association website
- Comments on Warship by series Director Michael Briant
- Webpage (at Home > Scriptwriting > Warship) about Michael J Bird's scripts for Warship
- HMS Phoebe Association website
- HMS Danae website (all commissions)
- HMS Danae website (first commission)
- HMS Dido Association website
- HMS Jupiter Association website
- HMS Hermione Association website
- Postwar Frigates website, retrieved 2010-10-12