Type 23 frigate
Encyclopedia
The Type 23 frigate is a class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 built for 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...

 of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. All the ships were first named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in June 2002. They form the majority of the Royal Navy's destroyer and frigate fleet.

Three of the frigates have been sold to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and serve with the 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...

. The remaining thirteen remain in service with the Royal Navy.

Intended role

When first conceived in the late 1970s, the Type 23 was intended to be a light anti-submarine frigate to counter Soviet nuclear submarines operating in the North Atlantic. The Type 23 would be replacing the Leander class
Leander class frigate
The Leander class, or Type 12I frigates, comprising twenty-six vessels, was among the most numerous and long-lived classes of frigate in the Royal Navy's modern history. The class was built in three batches between 1959 and 1973...

 frigates (which had entered service in 1960s) and the Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

 (a general purpose design that recently entered service) as "the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface ship anti-submarine force". Although not intended to replace the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

, reductions in the size of the Navy due to the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...

 led to HMS St Albans replacing HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (F98)
HMS Coventry was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was originally intended to be named Boadicea but was named Coventry in honour of the previous Coventry , a Type 42 destroyer sunk in the Falklands War....

, a Type 22 frigate.

The ships were intended to carry a towed array sonar
Towed array sonar
A towed array sonar is a sonar array that is towed behind a submarine or surface ship. It is basically a long cable, up to 5 km, with hydrophones that is trailed behind the ship when deployed. The hydrophones are placed at specific distances along the cable...

 to detect Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic and carry a Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

 or EHI Merlin helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 to attack them. It was initially proposed that the frigates would not mount defensive armament. Instead the Sea Wolf missile system
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 was to be carried by Fort Victoria class replenishment oilers, one of which was to support typically four Type 23s. The Fort class oilers would also provide servicing facilities for the force's helicopters; the Type 23 would have facilities only for rearming and refuelling them.

Evolution

As a result of lessons learned from the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

, the design grew in size and complexity to encompass the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf (VLS) system with an extra tracking system as a defence against low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...

s such as Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

. With the addition of Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

s and a medium calibre gun for naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...

, the Type 23 had evolved into a more complex and balanced vessel optimised for general warfare, which introduced a host of new technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross section
Radar cross section
Radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with a radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy...

 reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas is a modification of the combined diesel and gas propulsion system for ships.A CODLAG system employs electric motors which are connected to the propeller shafts . The motors are powered by diesel generators...

 (CODLAG) propulsion system providing very quiet running for anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch missile technology and a fully distributed combat management system.

The Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 surface-to-air missile system was designed for and first deployed on the Type 23. Unlike conventional Sea Wolf, the missile is boosted vertically until it clears the ship's superstructure and then turns to fly directly to the target. Consequently, the ship's structure does not cause no-fire zones that would delay or inhibit missile firing in a conventionally launched system.

HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (F230)
The sixth HMS Norfolk was laid down in 1985 by Yarrow Shipbuilders. She was launched on the Clyde by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in July 1987. She was commissioned on the 1st of June 1990. Norfolk was the 'first of class', as well as being the first of a new generation of 'lean manned'...

 was the first of the class to enter service, commissioned into the Fleet on 1 June 1990 at a cost of £135.449 million GBP, later vessels cost £60–96 million GBP.

Refit

The class are currently going through mid-life refits which last 12-18 months and cost £15-20m. Aside from refurbishment of the mess decks and drive train, the ships are being fitted with a transom flap which can add up to 1 knot to the top speed and reduce fuel consumption by 13%, and Intersleek anti-fouling paint which added 2 knots to the top speed of Ark Royal. Although the top speed of the Duke class is commonly quoted as 28 knots, the caption of an official Navy photo suggests that Lancaster was capable of 32 knots even before her mid-life refit; Edinburgh managed over 34 knots after her refit. The Sea Wolf Mid Life Update (SWMLU) improves the sensors and guidance of the missiles, point defences are further improved with new remotely-operated 30mm guns, and Mod 1 of the Mk8 main gun has an all-electric loading system and a smaller radar cross-section. The communications and command systems are also upgraded. Iron Duke will be the first to receive the Type 997 Artisan main radar during her refit in 2012-13, and the class will replace Sea Wolf with the CAMM(M) variant of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile is a Surface-to-air missile and Air-to-air missile made by MBDA for all three branches of the British Armed Forces, scheduled to enter service from 2016...

 from 2016. CAMM has a longer range (25 kilometre compared to 8 km) and can be packed much more tightly, with up to four CAMM fitting into the space occupied by one Sea Wolf, giving 128 missiles ready for launch.

Nomenclature

Although the Type 23 is officially the "Duke" class, and includes such famous names as HMS Iron Duke, (which had been the name of the battleship , Admiral Jellicoe's
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...

 flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

), five of the names had previously been used on classes known as the "County class": Kent and Norfolk were names given both to 1960s guided missile destroyers
County class destroyer
The County class was a class of guided missile destroyers, the first such vessels built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Sea Slug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air-defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war...

 and Second World War-era County class heavy cruisers
County class cruiser
The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruiser construction for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922...

, while Monmouth, Lancaster, Kent and Argyll revived names carried by First World War-era Monmouth class armoured cruisers
Monmouth class cruiser
The Monmouth-class was a ten-ship class of 10,000 ton armoured cruisers built around 1901 to 1903 for the Royal Navy and designed specifically for commerce protection...

. This use of Ducal and County names broke a tradition of alphabetical names for escort ships
Naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy
The first Torpedo Boat Destroyer in the Royal Navy was HMS Havock of 1893. From 1906, the term "Torpedo Boat Destroyer" began to appear in the shortened form "Destroyer" when referring to Destroyer Flotillas...

 which had run in two – not unbroken – cycles from the L-class destroyers
Laforey class destroyer (1913)
The Laforey class was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912 - 1913 and a further two under the War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the last pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I...

 of 1913 to the Daring-class destroyers
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...

 of 1950; this progression was revived with the Amazon-class Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

s of 1972–75, and continued with B and C names for most of the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

s of 1976–89. However, the D names have since been used for the new Type 45 Daring-class
Type 45 destroyer
The United Kingdom's Type 45 destroyer is an air defence destroyer programme of the Royal Navy which will replace its Type 42 destroyers. The first ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February 2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009. The ships are now built by BAE Systems Surface Ships...

 destroyers now entering service from 2009.

Specifications

Weapon Systems

  • 2 x quadruple Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
    Surface-to-surface missile
    A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

    s
  • 32 x Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
    Sea Wolf missile
    Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

     surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile
    A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

    s (VLS GWS 26 Mod 1 Block 2 system)
  • 1 x 4.5 inch Mark 8 (113 mm calibre) gun (All ships being upgraded from Mod 0 to Mod 1 standard)
  • 2 x Oerlikon
    Oerlikon Contraves
    Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...

     30 mm L/75 KCB guns on single Laurence Scott DS-30B mounts or 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    The 30mm DS30M Mark 2 is the Royal Navy's new 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun system, which is being fitted to Type 23 frigates to increase their ability to defend themselves from fast inshore attack craft armed with short-range missiles, rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine...

     systems on upgraded ships.

  • 4 x J+S Ltd 324 mm (2 twin) fixed torpedo
    Torpedo
    The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

     tubes with BAE
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Sting Ray
    Sting Ray torpedo
    The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

     torpedoes
  • NATO Seagnat
    Seagnat
    The Seagnat Control System is a decoy system used on many NATO warships to safeguard against incoming missiles...

    , Type 182 and DLF3 countermeasures launchers

Aircraft
  • Westland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Lynx
    Westland Lynx
    The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

     HM.8 or AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Merlin HM.1 (Royal Navy)
  • Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)
  • Armament:
    • Sea Skua
      Sea Skua
      The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx helicopter, although Kuwait uses it in a shore battery and on their Umm Al Maradem fast attack craft.The British...

       air to surface missiles (Lynx only)
    • AM-39 Exocet
      Exocet
      The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

       air to surface missiles (Cougars only)
    • Sting Ray
      Sting Ray torpedo
      The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

       torpedoes
    • Mk.11 Depth charge
      Depth charge
      A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...

      s

Electronic Systems

  • Search: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Radar Type 996 Mod 1, 3D surveillance
  • Navigation: Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of marine navigation systems and a supplier of navigational data to both the commercial marine and government marketplace...

     Radar Type 1007 and Racal Decca Type 1008
  • Fire control
    Fire-control system
    A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

    :
    • 2 x GEC Marconi
      Marconi Electronic Systems
      Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...

       Type 911 Sea Wolf systems
    • Sperry Sea Archer 30 optronic surveillance / director
  • Bow sonar: Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems , formerly known as Thomson Marconi Sonar, is an international defence manufacturer specialising in sonar systems for submarines, surface warships, and aircraft as well as communications masts and systems for submarines. TUS is a subsidiary of Thales Naval, part of the...

     Type 2050
  • Towed sonar: Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics Holdings is a British company serving the defence, security, transport and energy industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...

     Type 2031Z, being replaced by Type 2087
    Sonar 2087
    Sonar 2087 is a towed array sonar system for Royal Navy Type 23 frigates manufactured by Thales Underwater Systems.Sonar 2087 has replaced the Sonar 2031 towed array. The introduction of this advanced new Sonar has significantly enhanced the anti submarine warfare capability of the Royal Navy...

     in eight ships
  • Combat Management System: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Command System DNA(1)


Note: Type 23's Search Radar will be replaced by BAE Systems Insyte
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies was formed on May 3, 2005, by bringing together BAE Systems' interests in C4ISR and the UK operations of AMS following the Eurosystems Transaction....

 Artisan 3D Radar. The radar also equips the Albion and Ocean class Assault Ships, and will be on the two future Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The project was worth £100 Million and the contract was announced in 4 August 2008.

Command system

The first few Type 23 frigates entered service without a computerised command system, so the Secretary of State for Defence was asked "what ability those type 23 frigates not fitted with an automated command and control system will possess to identify aircraft as either friendly or hostile." The reply given was that: "The classification of an aircraft as friendly or hostile is based on information from a variety of sources including the ships Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system and other sensors. In T23 frigates not fitted with a command system this information will be available but will not be correlated automatically."

Crew size

"When first commissioned the complement of crew carried by Type 23 frigates was 173. The current [February 1998] complement is 171." "There are no plans to reduce the complement of Type 23 frigates by refitting with less manpower-intensive equipment. Manning implications are taken into consideration when the Operational Requirement for future ships is considered; however, the size of the complement is affected by other considerations such as the manpower needed for damage control and fire-fighting."

Helicopters

As reported by the Navy in January 2006, all the ships were operating one helicopter each. The Lynx Mark 3 was operated by HMS Sutherland, and the Lynx Mk 8 was operated by the Argyll, Montrose, Saint Albans, Iron Duke, Kent, Portland, Somerset, and Grafton. HMS Lancaster, Monmouth, Westminster and Northumberland operated the Merlin Mk 1. By 2010, Sutherland was operating a Merlin.

Sonar 2087

Five Type 23 frigates, HM Ships Montrose, Monmouth, Iron Duke, Lancaster and Argyll are not scheduled to receive Sonar 2087. These ships will be employed across the normal range of standing strategic, home and overseas commitments. These include Fleet Ready Escort duties around home waters, operational deployments to the Gulf and Arabian Sea, and standing tasks in the South Atlantic (APT(S)), Caribbean (APT(N)) and within NATO's Standing Maritime Group in the Mediterranean (SNMG2). They will also continue to contribute to the UK's Maritime Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) held at high readiness for contingent operations, and deploy on pre-planned activities as JRRF elements within a Task Group."

As of July 2010, six of the thirteen Type 23s in service are equipped with 2087 Sonar,


The Type 23 frigate is a class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 built for 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...

 of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. All the ships were first named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in June 2002. They form the majority of the Royal Navy's destroyer and frigate fleet.

Three of the frigates have been sold to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and serve with the 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...

. The remaining thirteen remain in service with the Royal Navy.

Intended role

When first conceived in the late 1970s, the Type 23 was intended to be a light anti-submarine frigate to counter Soviet nuclear submarines operating in the North Atlantic. The Type 23 would be replacing the Leander class
Leander class frigate
The Leander class, or Type 12I frigates, comprising twenty-six vessels, was among the most numerous and long-lived classes of frigate in the Royal Navy's modern history. The class was built in three batches between 1959 and 1973...

 frigates (which had entered service in 1960s) and the Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

 (a general purpose design that recently entered service) as "the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface ship anti-submarine force". Although not intended to replace the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

, reductions in the size of the Navy due to the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...

 led to HMS St Albans replacing HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (F98)
HMS Coventry was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was originally intended to be named Boadicea but was named Coventry in honour of the previous Coventry , a Type 42 destroyer sunk in the Falklands War....

, a Type 22 frigate.

The ships were intended to carry a towed array sonar
Towed array sonar
A towed array sonar is a sonar array that is towed behind a submarine or surface ship. It is basically a long cable, up to 5 km, with hydrophones that is trailed behind the ship when deployed. The hydrophones are placed at specific distances along the cable...

 to detect Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic and carry a Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

 or EHI Merlin helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 to attack them. It was initially proposed that the frigates would not mount defensive armament. Instead the Sea Wolf missile system
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 was to be carried by Fort Victoria class replenishment oilers, one of which was to support typically four Type 23s. The Fort class oilers would also provide servicing facilities for the force's helicopters; the Type 23 would have facilities only for rearming and refuelling them.

Evolution

As a result of lessons learned from the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

, the design grew in size and complexity to encompass the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf (VLS) system with an extra tracking system as a defence against low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...

s such as Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

. With the addition of Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

s and a medium calibre gun for naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...

, the Type 23 had evolved into a more complex and balanced vessel optimised for general warfare, which introduced a host of new technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross section
Radar cross section
Radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with a radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy...

 reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas is a modification of the combined diesel and gas propulsion system for ships.A CODLAG system employs electric motors which are connected to the propeller shafts . The motors are powered by diesel generators...

 (CODLAG) propulsion system providing very quiet running for anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch missile technology and a fully distributed combat management system.

The Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 surface-to-air missile system was designed for and first deployed on the Type 23. Unlike conventional Sea Wolf, the missile is boosted vertically until it clears the ship's superstructure and then turns to fly directly to the target. Consequently, the ship's structure does not cause no-fire zones that would delay or inhibit missile firing in a conventionally launched system.

HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (F230)
The sixth HMS Norfolk was laid down in 1985 by Yarrow Shipbuilders. She was launched on the Clyde by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in July 1987. She was commissioned on the 1st of June 1990. Norfolk was the 'first of class', as well as being the first of a new generation of 'lean manned'...

 was the first of the class to enter service, commissioned into the Fleet on 1 June 1990 at a cost of £135.449 million GBP, later vessels cost £60–96 million GBP.

Refit

The class are currently going through mid-life refits which last 12-18 months and cost £15-20m. Aside from refurbishment of the mess decks and drive train, the ships are being fitted with a transom flap which can add up to 1 knot to the top speed and reduce fuel consumption by 13%, and Intersleek anti-fouling paint which added 2 knots to the top speed of Ark Royal. Although the top speed of the Duke class is commonly quoted as 28 knots, the caption of an official Navy photo suggests that Lancaster was capable of 32 knots even before her mid-life refit; Edinburgh managed over 34 knots after her refit. The Sea Wolf Mid Life Update (SWMLU) improves the sensors and guidance of the missiles, point defences are further improved with new remotely-operated 30mm guns, and Mod 1 of the Mk8 main gun has an all-electric loading system and a smaller radar cross-section. The communications and command systems are also upgraded. Iron Duke will be the first to receive the Type 997 Artisan main radar during her refit in 2012-13, and the class will replace Sea Wolf with the CAMM(M) variant of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile is a Surface-to-air missile and Air-to-air missile made by MBDA for all three branches of the British Armed Forces, scheduled to enter service from 2016...

 from 2016. CAMM has a longer range (25 kilometre compared to 8 km) and can be packed much more tightly, with up to four CAMM fitting into the space occupied by one Sea Wolf, giving 128 missiles ready for launch.

Nomenclature

Although the Type 23 is officially the "Duke" class, and includes such famous names as HMS Iron Duke, (which had been the name of the battleship , Admiral Jellicoe's
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...

 flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

), five of the names had previously been used on classes known as the "County class": Kent and Norfolk were names given both to 1960s guided missile destroyers
County class destroyer
The County class was a class of guided missile destroyers, the first such vessels built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Sea Slug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air-defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war...

 and Second World War-era County class heavy cruisers
County class cruiser
The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruiser construction for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922...

, while Monmouth, Lancaster, Kent and Argyll revived names carried by First World War-era Monmouth class armoured cruisers
Monmouth class cruiser
The Monmouth-class was a ten-ship class of 10,000 ton armoured cruisers built around 1901 to 1903 for the Royal Navy and designed specifically for commerce protection...

. This use of Ducal and County names broke a tradition of alphabetical names for escort ships
Naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy
The first Torpedo Boat Destroyer in the Royal Navy was HMS Havock of 1893. From 1906, the term "Torpedo Boat Destroyer" began to appear in the shortened form "Destroyer" when referring to Destroyer Flotillas...

 which had run in two – not unbroken – cycles from the L-class destroyers
Laforey class destroyer (1913)
The Laforey class was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912 - 1913 and a further two under the War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the last pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I...

 of 1913 to the Daring-class destroyers
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...

 of 1950; this progression was revived with the Amazon-class Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

s of 1972–75, and continued with B and C names for most of the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

s of 1976–89. However, the D names have since been used for the new Type 45 Daring-class
Type 45 destroyer
The United Kingdom's Type 45 destroyer is an air defence destroyer programme of the Royal Navy which will replace its Type 42 destroyers. The first ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February 2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009. The ships are now built by BAE Systems Surface Ships...

 destroyers now entering service from 2009.

Specifications

Weapon Systems

  • 2 x quadruple Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
    Surface-to-surface missile
    A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

    s
  • 32 x Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
    Sea Wolf missile
    Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

     surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile
    A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

    s (VLS GWS 26 Mod 1 Block 2 system)
  • 1 x 4.5 inch Mark 8 (113 mm calibre) gun (All ships being upgraded from Mod 0 to Mod 1 standard)
  • 2 x Oerlikon
    Oerlikon Contraves
    Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...

     30 mm L/75 KCB guns on single Laurence Scott DS-30B mounts or 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    The 30mm DS30M Mark 2 is the Royal Navy's new 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun system, which is being fitted to Type 23 frigates to increase their ability to defend themselves from fast inshore attack craft armed with short-range missiles, rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine...

     systems on upgraded ships.

  • 4 x J+S Ltd 324 mm (2 twin) fixed torpedo
    Torpedo
    The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

     tubes with BAE
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Sting Ray
    Sting Ray torpedo
    The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

     torpedoes
  • NATO Seagnat
    Seagnat
    The Seagnat Control System is a decoy system used on many NATO warships to safeguard against incoming missiles...

    , Type 182 and DLF3 countermeasures launchers

Aircraft
  • Westland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Lynx
    Westland Lynx
    The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

     HM.8 or AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Merlin HM.1 (Royal Navy)
  • Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)
  • Armament:
    • Sea Skua
      Sea Skua
      The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx helicopter, although Kuwait uses it in a shore battery and on their Umm Al Maradem fast attack craft.The British...

       air to surface missiles (Lynx only)
    • AM-39 Exocet
      Exocet
      The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

       air to surface missiles (Cougars only)
    • Sting Ray
      Sting Ray torpedo
      The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

       torpedoes
    • Mk.11 Depth charge
      Depth charge
      A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...

      s

Electronic Systems

  • Search: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Radar Type 996 Mod 1, 3D surveillance
  • Navigation: Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of marine navigation systems and a supplier of navigational data to both the commercial marine and government marketplace...

     Radar Type 1007 and Racal Decca Type 1008
  • Fire control
    Fire-control system
    A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

    :
    • 2 x GEC Marconi
      Marconi Electronic Systems
      Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...

       Type 911 Sea Wolf systems
    • Sperry Sea Archer 30 optronic surveillance / director
  • Bow sonar: Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems , formerly known as Thomson Marconi Sonar, is an international defence manufacturer specialising in sonar systems for submarines, surface warships, and aircraft as well as communications masts and systems for submarines. TUS is a subsidiary of Thales Naval, part of the...

     Type 2050
  • Towed sonar: Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics Holdings is a British company serving the defence, security, transport and energy industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...

     Type 2031Z, being replaced by Type 2087
    Sonar 2087
    Sonar 2087 is a towed array sonar system for Royal Navy Type 23 frigates manufactured by Thales Underwater Systems.Sonar 2087 has replaced the Sonar 2031 towed array. The introduction of this advanced new Sonar has significantly enhanced the anti submarine warfare capability of the Royal Navy...

     in eight ships
  • Combat Management System: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Command System DNA(1)


Note: Type 23's Search Radar will be replaced by BAE Systems Insyte
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies was formed on May 3, 2005, by bringing together BAE Systems' interests in C4ISR and the UK operations of AMS following the Eurosystems Transaction....

 Artisan 3D Radar. The radar also equips the Albion and Ocean class Assault Ships, and will be on the two future Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The project was worth £100 Million and the contract was announced in 4 August 2008.

Command system

The first few Type 23 frigates entered service without a computerised command system, so the Secretary of State for Defence was asked "what ability those type 23 frigates not fitted with an automated command and control system will possess to identify aircraft as either friendly or hostile." The reply given was that: "The classification of an aircraft as friendly or hostile is based on information from a variety of sources including the ships Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system and other sensors. In T23 frigates not fitted with a command system this information will be available but will not be correlated automatically."Hansard HC Deb 2 November 1989 vol 159 cc333-4W Questions to Secretary of State for Defence, 2 November 1989.

Crew size

"When first commissioned the complement of crew carried by Type 23 frigates was 173. The current [February 1998] complement is 171." "There are no plans to reduce the complement of Type 23 frigates by refitting with less manpower-intensive equipment. Manning implications are taken into consideration when the Operational Requirement for future ships is considered; however, the size of the complement is affected by other considerations such as the manpower needed for damage control and fire-fighting."Hansard 10 Feb 1998: Column: 195, 10 Feb 1998 : Column: 196 Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the manning and availability of warships, 10 February 1998.

Helicopters

As reported by the Navy in January 2006, all the ships were operating one helicopter each. The Lynx Mark 3 was operated by HMS Sutherland, and the Lynx Mk 8 was operated by the Argyll, Montrose, Saint Albans, Iron Duke, Kent, Portland, Somerset, and Grafton.Hansard 10 Jan 2006: Column 505W—continued Question to the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are carried by each of the Type 23 frigates, broken down by type of helicopter, 10 January 2006. HMS Lancaster, Monmouth, Westminster and Northumberland operated the Merlin Mk 1. By 2010, Sutherland was operating a Merlin.

Sonar 2087

Five Type 23 frigates, HM Ships Montrose, Monmouth, Iron Duke, Lancaster and Argyll are not scheduled to receive Sonar 2087. These ships will be employed across the normal range of standing strategic, home and overseas commitments. These include Fleet Ready Escort duties around home waters, operational deployments to the Gulf and Arabian Sea, and standing tasks in the South Atlantic (APT(S)), Caribbean (APT(N)) and within NATO's Standing Maritime Group in the Mediterranean (SNMG2). They will also continue to contribute to the UK's Maritime Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) held at high readiness for contingent operations, and deploy on pre-planned activities as JRRF elements within a Task Group."

As of July 2010, six of the thirteen Type 23s in service are equipped with 2087 Sonar,


The Type 23 frigate is a class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 built for 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...

 of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. All the ships were first named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in June 2002. They form the majority of the Royal Navy's destroyer and frigate fleet.

Three of the frigates have been sold to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and serve with the 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...

. The remaining thirteen remain in service with the Royal Navy.

Intended role

When first conceived in the late 1970s, the Type 23 was intended to be a light anti-submarine frigate to counter Soviet nuclear submarines operating in the North Atlantic. The Type 23 would be replacing the Leander class
Leander class frigate
The Leander class, or Type 12I frigates, comprising twenty-six vessels, was among the most numerous and long-lived classes of frigate in the Royal Navy's modern history. The class was built in three batches between 1959 and 1973...

 frigates (which had entered service in 1960s) and the Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

 (a general purpose design that recently entered service) as "the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface ship anti-submarine force". Although not intended to replace the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

, reductions in the size of the Navy due to the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...

 led to HMS St Albans replacing HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (F98)
HMS Coventry was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was originally intended to be named Boadicea but was named Coventry in honour of the previous Coventry , a Type 42 destroyer sunk in the Falklands War....

, a Type 22 frigate.

The ships were intended to carry a towed array sonar
Towed array sonar
A towed array sonar is a sonar array that is towed behind a submarine or surface ship. It is basically a long cable, up to 5 km, with hydrophones that is trailed behind the ship when deployed. The hydrophones are placed at specific distances along the cable...

 to detect Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic and carry a Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

 or EHI Merlin helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 to attack them. It was initially proposed that the frigates would not mount defensive armament. Instead the Sea Wolf missile system
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 was to be carried by Fort Victoria class replenishment oilers, one of which was to support typically four Type 23s. The Fort class oilers would also provide servicing facilities for the force's helicopters; the Type 23 would have facilities only for rearming and refuelling them.

Evolution

As a result of lessons learned from the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

, the design grew in size and complexity to encompass the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf (VLS) system with an extra tracking system as a defence against low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...

s such as Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

. With the addition of Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

s and a medium calibre gun for naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...

, the Type 23 had evolved into a more complex and balanced vessel optimised for general warfare, which introduced a host of new technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross section
Radar cross section
Radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with a radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy...

 reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas is a modification of the combined diesel and gas propulsion system for ships.A CODLAG system employs electric motors which are connected to the propeller shafts . The motors are powered by diesel generators...

 (CODLAG) propulsion system providing very quiet running for anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch missile technology and a fully distributed combat management system.

The Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf missile
Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

 surface-to-air missile system was designed for and first deployed on the Type 23. Unlike conventional Sea Wolf, the missile is boosted vertically until it clears the ship's superstructure and then turns to fly directly to the target. Consequently, the ship's structure does not cause no-fire zones that would delay or inhibit missile firing in a conventionally launched system.

HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (F230)
The sixth HMS Norfolk was laid down in 1985 by Yarrow Shipbuilders. She was launched on the Clyde by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in July 1987. She was commissioned on the 1st of June 1990. Norfolk was the 'first of class', as well as being the first of a new generation of 'lean manned'...

 was the first of the class to enter service, commissioned into the Fleet on 1 June 1990 at a cost of £135.449 million GBP, later vessels cost £60–96 million GBP.

Refit

The class are currently going through mid-life refits which last 12-18 months and cost £15-20m. Aside from refurbishment of the mess decks and drive train, the ships are being fitted with a transom flap which can add up to 1 knot to the top speed and reduce fuel consumption by 13%, and Intersleek anti-fouling paint which added 2 knots to the top speed of Ark Royal. Although the top speed of the Duke class is commonly quoted as 28 knots, the caption of an official Navy photo suggests that Lancaster was capable of 32 knots even before her mid-life refit; Edinburgh managed over 34 knots after her refit. The Sea Wolf Mid Life Update (SWMLU) improves the sensors and guidance of the missiles, point defences are further improved with new remotely-operated 30mm guns, and Mod 1 of the Mk8 main gun has an all-electric loading system and a smaller radar cross-section. The communications and command systems are also upgraded. Iron Duke will be the first to receive the Type 997 Artisan main radar during her refit in 2012-13, and the class will replace Sea Wolf with the CAMM(M) variant of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
Common Anti-Air Modular Missile
The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile is a Surface-to-air missile and Air-to-air missile made by MBDA for all three branches of the British Armed Forces, scheduled to enter service from 2016...

 from 2016. CAMM has a longer range (25 kilometre compared to 8 km) and can be packed much more tightly, with up to four CAMM fitting into the space occupied by one Sea Wolf, giving 128 missiles ready for launch.

Nomenclature

Although the Type 23 is officially the "Duke" class, and includes such famous names as HMS Iron Duke, (which had been the name of the battleship , Admiral Jellicoe's
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...

 flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

), five of the names had previously been used on classes known as the "County class": Kent and Norfolk were names given both to 1960s guided missile destroyers
County class destroyer
The County class was a class of guided missile destroyers, the first such vessels built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Sea Slug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air-defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war...

 and Second World War-era County class heavy cruisers
County class cruiser
The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruiser construction for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922...

, while Monmouth, Lancaster, Kent and Argyll revived names carried by First World War-era Monmouth class armoured cruisers
Monmouth class cruiser
The Monmouth-class was a ten-ship class of 10,000 ton armoured cruisers built around 1901 to 1903 for the Royal Navy and designed specifically for commerce protection...

. This use of Ducal and County names broke a tradition of alphabetical names for escort ships
Naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy
The first Torpedo Boat Destroyer in the Royal Navy was HMS Havock of 1893. From 1906, the term "Torpedo Boat Destroyer" began to appear in the shortened form "Destroyer" when referring to Destroyer Flotillas...

 which had run in two – not unbroken – cycles from the L-class destroyers
Laforey class destroyer (1913)
The Laforey class was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912 - 1913 and a further two under the War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the last pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I...

 of 1913 to the Daring-class destroyers
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...

 of 1950; this progression was revived with the Amazon-class Type 21 frigate
Type 21 frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon-class frigate was a Royal Navy general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and that served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.-History:...

s of 1972–75, and continued with B and C names for most of the Type 22 frigate
Type 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...

s of 1976–89. However, the D names have since been used for the new Type 45 Daring-class
Type 45 destroyer
The United Kingdom's Type 45 destroyer is an air defence destroyer programme of the Royal Navy which will replace its Type 42 destroyers. The first ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched on 1 February 2006 and commissioned on 23 July 2009. The ships are now built by BAE Systems Surface Ships...

 destroyers now entering service from 2009.

Specifications

Weapon Systems

  • 2 x quadruple Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile
    Surface-to-surface missile
    A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

    s
  • 32 x Vertical Launch Sea Wolf
    Sea Wolf missile
    Sea Wolf is a naval guided missile system designed and built by BAC, later to become British Aerospace Dynamics . It is an automated point-defence weapon system designed as a final line of defence against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft...

     surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile
    A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

    s (VLS GWS 26 Mod 1 Block 2 system)
  • 1 x 4.5 inch Mark 8 (113 mm calibre) gun (All ships being upgraded from Mod 0 to Mod 1 standard)
  • 2 x Oerlikon
    Oerlikon Contraves
    Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...

     30 mm L/75 KCB guns on single Laurence Scott DS-30B mounts or 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
    The 30mm DS30M Mark 2 is the Royal Navy's new 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun system, which is being fitted to Type 23 frigates to increase their ability to defend themselves from fast inshore attack craft armed with short-range missiles, rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine...

     systems on upgraded ships.

  • 4 x J+S Ltd 324 mm (2 twin) fixed torpedo
    Torpedo
    The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

     tubes with BAE
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Sting Ray
    Sting Ray torpedo
    The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

     torpedoes
  • NATO Seagnat
    Seagnat
    The Seagnat Control System is a decoy system used on many NATO warships to safeguard against incoming missiles...

    , Type 182 and DLF3 countermeasures launchers

Aircraft
  • Westland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Lynx
    Westland Lynx
    The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

     HM.8 or AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland
    AgustaWestland is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company. It was formed in July 2000 when Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland with Finmeccanica and GKN each holding a 50% share.AgustaWestland is now a...

     Merlin HM.1 (Royal Navy)
  • Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)
  • Armament:
    • Sea Skua
      Sea Skua
      The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile designed for use from helicopters against ships. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx helicopter, although Kuwait uses it in a shore battery and on their Umm Al Maradem fast attack craft.The British...

       air to surface missiles (Lynx only)
    • AM-39 Exocet
      Exocet
      The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

       air to surface missiles (Cougars only)
    • Sting Ray
      Sting Ray torpedo
      The Sting Ray torpedo is a current British acoustic homing light-weight torpedo manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983.-Design and development:...

       torpedoes
    • Mk.11 Depth charge
      Depth charge
      A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...

      s

Electronic Systems

  • Search: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Radar Type 996 Mod 1, 3D surveillance
  • Navigation: Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes
    Kelvin Hughes Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of marine navigation systems and a supplier of navigational data to both the commercial marine and government marketplace...

     Radar Type 1007 and Racal Decca Type 1008
  • Fire control
    Fire-control system
    A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

    :
    • 2 x GEC Marconi
      Marconi Electronic Systems
      Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...

       Type 911 Sea Wolf systems
    • Sperry Sea Archer 30 optronic surveillance / director
  • Bow sonar: Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems
    Thales Underwater Systems , formerly known as Thomson Marconi Sonar, is an international defence manufacturer specialising in sonar systems for submarines, surface warships, and aircraft as well as communications masts and systems for submarines. TUS is a subsidiary of Thales Naval, part of the...

     Type 2050
  • Towed sonar: Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics
    Ultra Electronics Holdings is a British company serving the defence, security, transport and energy industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...

     Type 2031Z, being replaced by Type 2087
    Sonar 2087
    Sonar 2087 is a towed array sonar system for Royal Navy Type 23 frigates manufactured by Thales Underwater Systems.Sonar 2087 has replaced the Sonar 2031 towed array. The introduction of this advanced new Sonar has significantly enhanced the anti submarine warfare capability of the Royal Navy...

     in eight ships
  • Combat Management System: BAE Systems
    BAE Systems
    BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

     Command System DNA(1)


Note: Type 23's Search Radar will be replaced by BAE Systems Insyte
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies was formed on May 3, 2005, by bringing together BAE Systems' interests in C4ISR and the UK operations of AMS following the Eurosystems Transaction....

 Artisan 3D Radar. The radar also equips the Albion and Ocean class Assault Ships, and will be on the two future Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The project was worth £100 Million and the contract was announced in 4 August 2008.

Command system

The first few Type 23 frigates entered service without a computerised command system, so the Secretary of State for Defence was asked "what ability those type 23 frigates not fitted with an automated command and control system will possess to identify aircraft as either friendly or hostile." The reply given was that: "The classification of an aircraft as friendly or hostile is based on information from a variety of sources including the ships Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system and other sensors. In T23 frigates not fitted with a command system this information will be available but will not be correlated automatically."Hansard HC Deb 2 November 1989 vol 159 cc333-4W Questions to Secretary of State for Defence, 2 November 1989.

Crew size

"When first commissioned the complement of crew carried by Type 23 frigates was 173. The current [February 1998] complement is 171." "There are no plans to reduce the complement of Type 23 frigates by refitting with less manpower-intensive equipment. Manning implications are taken into consideration when the Operational Requirement for future ships is considered; however, the size of the complement is affected by other considerations such as the manpower needed for damage control and fire-fighting."Hansard 10 Feb 1998: Column: 195, 10 Feb 1998 : Column: 196 Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the manning and availability of warships, 10 February 1998.

Helicopters

As reported by the Navy in January 2006, all the ships were operating one helicopter each. The Lynx Mark 3 was operated by HMS Sutherland, and the Lynx Mk 8 was operated by the Argyll, Montrose, Saint Albans, Iron Duke, Kent, Portland, Somerset, and Grafton.Hansard 10 Jan 2006: Column 505W—continued Question to the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are carried by each of the Type 23 frigates, broken down by type of helicopter, 10 January 2006. HMS Lancaster, Monmouth, Westminster and Northumberland operated the Merlin Mk 1. By 2010, Sutherland was operating a Merlin.

Sonar 2087

Five Type 23 frigates, HM Ships Montrose, Monmouth, Iron Duke, Lancaster and Argyll are not scheduled to receive Sonar 2087. These ships will be employed across the normal range of standing strategic, home and overseas commitments. These include Fleet Ready Escort duties around home waters, operational deployments to the Gulf and Arabian Sea, and standing tasks in the South Atlantic (APT(S)), Caribbean (APT(N)) and within NATO's Standing Maritime Group in the Mediterranean (SNMG2). They will also continue to contribute to the UK's Maritime Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) held at high readiness for contingent operations, and deploy on pre-planned activities as JRRF elements within a Task Group."

As of July 2010, six of the thirteen Type 23s in service are equipped with 2087 Sonar,Hansard 23 Jun 2010, Column 237W and MoD "plan to fit a further two with it by 2013. Following the withdrawal from service of the Nimrod MR2, other assets, including the Type 23, are providing cover for some of its tasks."Hansard, 13 July 2010, Column 601W.

Flagship role

Unlike the Types 22 and 45, the "Type 23 frigate does not have the capability or configuration to act as flagship and is not tasked in this way."Hansard 17 Mar 2011, Column 511W

Construction programme

Prior to the Falklands War the cost of the Type 23 frigates was estimated at £75 million (September 1980 prices)HC Deb 11 January 1985 vol 70 c561W Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about Type 23 frigates, 11 January 1985. Changes following the experiences in the Falklands, including improved damage control and fire precautionsHansard HC Deb 19 July 1983 vol 46 cc179-263 led to an increased cost estimated at £110 million (1984–85 prices)
By 2001, the Ministry of Defence said the cost of HMS Norfolk was £135.449 million and the remaining ships would have a final cost between £60 million and £96 million each

The Ministry of Defence said in 1998 that the Merlin ASW helicopter was costing them £97M each (this was for an order for 44 airframes), and that this was 57% of the cost of Type 23.Warship World, Spring 1998, pub Maritime Books, page 13. This figure of £97 million each included research and development costs. From this it can be calculated that the cost of Type 23 was £ 170.1M each.

The costs in the table below are in two columns:
  • Original hull cost. "Other costs, such as those for Government furnished equipment, are not held centrally for each ship and could be provided only at disproportionate cost."
  • Estimated building cost. This is a phrase used in Defence Estimates, and before that in Navy Estimates. It does not include the armament, or government furnished equipment.


The Government's declared policy for construction contracts for Type 23 was "...competition, the aim being to secure best value for money for the defence budget." while maintaining "sufficient warship-building capacity to meet likely future defence requirements and a competitive base"
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 Ordered Laid down Launched Accepted into service Commissioned Original hull cost Estimated building cost"Unit cost, i.e. excluding cost of certain items (e.g. aircraft, First Outfits)." – Text from Defences Estimates
"They do not include other costs, such as those for Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)—as they are not held centrally for each ship and could be provided only at disproportionate cost." Bob Ainsworth
Bob Ainsworth
Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...

, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
The Minister of State for the Armed Forces is a middle-ranking ministerial position, subordinate only to the Secretary of State for Defence, at the Ministry of Defence in Her Majesty's Government....

, 16 July 2008.
F230 Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (F230)
The sixth HMS Norfolk was laid down in 1985 by Yarrow Shipbuilders. She was launched on the Clyde by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in July 1987. She was commissioned on the 1st of June 1990. Norfolk was the 'first of class', as well as being the first of a new generation of 'lean manned'...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. 29 October 1984Hansard HC Deb 23 October 1989 vol 158 cc358-61W Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking him to list the Royal Navy vessels built in each of the past 15 years, showing the cost of each and the yards in which they were constructed. 14 December 1985Saunders, Stephen Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003, pub Jane's Information group, 2002, ISBN 0-7106-2432-8 page 776. 10 July 1987Gardiner, Robert Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, pub Conway Maritime Press, 1995, ISBN 0-85177-605-1 page 525. 1 June 1990 £112.03M £142MHansard 24 May 2007 : Column 1388W—continued Question to the Secretary of State for Defence which naval vessels have been sold by the Royal Navy in the last five years; what the (a) vessel type, (b) service cost and (c) destination country was in each case; and if he will estimate the (i) original costs of each vessel and (ii) financial gains accrued to public funds as a result of each sale, 24 May 2007.
£135.449MHansard 5 Jul 2001: Column: 245W Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence, 5 July 2001.
F231 Argyll
HMS Argyll (F231)
The third and current HMS Argyll is a Type 23 'Duke' Class frigate. She was laid down in March 1987 by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Glasgow, launched in 1989 by Lady Wendy Levene, and commissioned in May 1991...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd.Hansard 13 March 2008: Column 667W Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the outturn cost of each Type 23 frigate, 13 March 2008. 1 September 1986 20 March 1987Saunders, Stephen Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, pub Jane's Information Group, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9 page 862. 8 April 1989 17 April 1991 31 May 1991 £118.95M
F229 (ex-F232) Lancaster
HMS Lancaster (F229)
HMS Lancaster is a 'Duke' class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is known as "The Queen's Frigate", the Duke of Lancaster being an honorary title of the Sovereign. She is also known as The Red Rose Frigate, after the emblem of Lancashire...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. 1 September 1986 18 December 1987 24 May 1990 1 May 1992 £119.71M
F233 Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (F233)
HMS Marlborough was a 'Duke'-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the sixth ship to bear the name. She was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.-History:...

Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...

.
1 September 1986 22 October 1987 21 January 1989 7 March 1991Hansard HC 23 May 1991 Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about building programme for Type 23, 23 May 1991. 14 June 1991 £118.43M £120M
F234 Iron Duke
HMS Iron Duke (F234)
HMS Iron Duke is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the third ship to bear the name. Iron Duke was launched on 2 March 1991 by Lady Jane King in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Wellington. Her affiliated town is Kingston upon Hull, and she is named after Arthur Wellesley, the first...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. 11 July 1988 12 December 1988 2 March 1991 20 May 1993 £109.77M
F235 Monmouth
HMS Monmouth (F235)
HMS Monmouth is the sixth Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the seventh ship to bear the name and was launched by Lady Eaton in 1991, being commissioned two years later....

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. 11 July 1988 1 June 1989 23 November 1991 24 September 1993 £111.66M
F236 Montrose
HMS Montrose (F236)
The second and current HMS Montrose is the eighth of a sixteen ship class of frigates, known as Type 23 or the 'Duke' class, of the Royal Navy. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. 11 July 1988 1 November 1989 31 July 1992 2 June 1994 £117.29M
F237 Westminster
HMS Westminster (F237)
HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992.Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles - as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford...

Swan Hunter. December 1989 18 January 1991 4 February 1992 13 May 1994 £112.68M
F238 Northumberland
HMS Northumberland (F238)
HMS Northumberland is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is named after the Duke of Northumberland. She is based at Devonport.-Construction:...

Swan Hunter. December 1989 4 April 1991 4 April 1992 29 November 1994 £114.73M
F239 Richmond
HMS Richmond (F239)
HMS Richmond is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 6 April 1993 by Lady Hill-Norton, wife of the late Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Hill-Norton, and was the last warship to be built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders...

Swan Hunter. December 1989 16 February 1992 6 April 1993 22 June 1995 £116.2M
F82 Somerset
HMS Somerset (F82)
HMS Somerset is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy.Somerset is the eleventh of the class to join the fleet since 1989. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd on the River Clyde, in Scotland and was launched in June 1994 by Lady Elspeth Layard, wife of then 2nd Sea Lord Admiral and...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. January 1992 12 October 1992 25 June 1994 20 September 1996 £114.14M
F80 Grafton
HMS Grafton (F80)
HMS Grafton was a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. It was the ninth vessel to bear the name, and is named after the Duke of Grafton....

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. January 1992 13 May 1993 5 November 1994 29 May 1997 £115.56M £79M
F81 Sutherland
HMS Sutherland (F81)
HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the thirteenth ship in the Duke class of frigates and is the third ship to bear the name, more than 200 years since the name was last used....

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. January 1992 14 October 1993 9 March 1996 4 July 1997 £143.58M
F78 Kent
HMS Kent (F78)
HMS Kent is a Type 23 Duke class frigate of the British Royal Navy, and the twelfth ship to bear the name.Kents lineage boasts sixteen Battle Honours from the three given to the first Kent of 46 guns built in 1653, to the five awarded to the ninth and tenth Kents of World War I and World War...

Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. February 1996 16 April 1997 27 May 1998 8 June 2000 £108.42M
F79 Portland
HMS Portland (F79)
HMS Portland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the eighth ship to bear the name and is the fifteenth and penultimate ship of the 'Duke' class of frigates.- Operational history :...

Marconi Marine.
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...

[Formerly Yarrow.]
February 1996 14 January 1998 15 May 1999 15 December 2000 3 May 2001 £92.06M
F83 St Albans
HMS St Albans (F83)
HMS St Albans is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the sixth ship to bear the name and is the sixteenth and final ship in the 'Duke' class of frigates. She is based in Portsmouth.- Operational history :...

BAE Systems Marine.
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

[Formerly Yarrow.]
February 1996 18 April 1999 6 May 2000 6 June 2002 £106.82M

Running costs

Date Running cost What is included Citation
1987–88 £3.6 million Estimate of the annual running costs for a type 23 frigate. These costs include personnel, fuel, spares and so on, and administrative support services, but exclude new construction, capital equipment, and refit-repair costs.
2001–02 £10.3 million "Average annual operating costs, based on historic costs over the last two full financial years are given in the table. The figures include manpower, maintenance, fuel, stores and other costs (such as harbour dues), but exclude depreciation and cost of capital."
2002–03 £10.3 million
2007-08 £26.18 million "The Type 23 Class of Frigates, comprising 13 vessels, has a combined annual operating cost of £340.3M." "This is based on information primarily from Financial Year 07/08 the last year for which this information is available, and includes typical day-to-day costs such as fuel and manpower and general support costs covering maintenance, repair and equipment spares. Costs for equipment spares are also included, although these are based on Financial Year 08/09 information as this is the most recent information available. Costs for weapon system support are not included as they could only be provided at disproportionate cost."
2009-10 £24.14 million The average running cost per class for Type 23 was £313.8 million. "These figures, based on the expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence in 2009-10, include maintenance, safety certification, military upgrades, manpower, inventory, satellite communication, fuel costs and depreciation."

Known refits

  • HMS Iron Duke was due to start refit at Rosyth Royal Dockyard in spring 2001.
  • "HMS Montrose's refit at Rosyth is planned for completion in February 2004 and following associated sea trials, she is expected to be ready for operational deployment later that month. The final refit cost will be agreed once all work is completed, but is expected to be just under £23 million. This exceeds the original budget as it now reflects possible changes in labour rates and takes into account additional work identified after the budget had been set."

Refits completed since 1997

HM Ship Refit dates Approx. duration Contracted price Final cost Source
Argyll Jun 2003 – Nov 2003 24 weeks £5.6 million £5.6 million 25 Nov 2008 : Column WA280
Lancaster May 2004 – Dec 2004 32 weeks £7.6 million £7.6 million
Somerset May 2006 – Jun 2007 56 weeks £11.9 million £11.9 million
Portland May 2006 – Jan 2007 44 weeks £8.7 million £8.7 million
Richmond Aug 2005 – Sep 2006 56 weeks £9.4 million £9.4 million
Kent Jan 2005 – Jun 2005 24 weeks £5.8 million £5.8 million

Contracts placed under the SSS Programme

HM Ship Refit dates Duration Contracted price incl. profit and growth Out-turn cost excl. profit Final cost (£m) Source
Iron Duke Feb 2007 – Nov 2007 40 weeks £10.8 million
St Albans May 2007 – Jul 2008 60 weeks £15.4 million

Availability

In February 1998, it was stated that: "Type 23 frigates achieved approximately 85–89 per cent average availability for operational service in each of the last five years with the exception of 1996 when the figure dropped to just over 80 per cent due to a number of ships experiencing a particular defect. This discounts time spent in planned maintenance."

Disposal

On 21 July 2004, in the Delivering Security in a Changing World
Delivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the...

 review of defence spending, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon
Geoff Hoon
Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...

 announced that HMS Norfolk, Marlborough and Grafton were to be paid off. In 2005 it was announced that these three vessels would be sold to the 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...

, to be delivered in 2008. In September 2005 BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

 was awarded a £134 million GBP contract to prepare the frigates for transfer.

The Marlborough, Norfolk and Grafton were sold to Chile for a total of £134 million. The letter of intent for purchase was signed in December 2004, followed by a formal contract on 7 September 2005.Saunders, Stephen Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, pub Jane's Information Group, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9 page 111.

The Norfolk was handed over by the Defence Logistics Organisation
Defence Logistics Organisation
The Defence Logistics Organisation was a key element of the UK Ministry of Defence, responsible for supporting the armed forces throughout the various stages of an operation or exercise; from training, deployment, in-theatre training and conduct of operations, through to recovery and recuperation...

 and BAE Systems and commissioned into the Chilean Navy on 22 November 2006, and named Almirante Cochrane (FF-05) (after Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....

, a naval hero to both the British and Chileans). The Grafton was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 March 2007 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Lynch (FF-07). The Marlborough was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 May 2008 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Condell (FF-06).
Name RN Home port Out-of-service date
(as planned in 2006)
Out-of-service date
(as announced in 2009)
Actual out-of-service date Name after sale abroad New home port Commissioned by foreign navy Status
HMS Norfolk Devonport FY2005-06 Almirante Cochrane FF-05 Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...

22 November 2006 Active Chilean Navy
HMS Marlborough Portsmouth FY2005-06 Almirante Condell FF-06 Valparaiso 2008 Active Chilean Navy
HMS Grafton Portsmouth Non-operational from 31 March 2006. Almirante Lynch FF-07 Valparaiso 28 March 2007 Active Chilean Navy
HMS Argyll Devonport 2019Hansard 17 July 2006: Column 220W Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the five Type 23 frigates which are not to be fitted with Sonar 2087, 17 July 2006. 2023 Active RN
HMS Lancaster 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...

2019 2024 Active RN
HMS Iron Duke Portsmouth 2020 2025 Active RN
HMS Monmouth Devonport 2021 2026 Active RN
HMS Montrose Devonport 2021 2027 Active RN
HMS Westminster Portsmouth 2028 Active RN
HMS Northumberland Devonport 2029 Active RN
HMS Richmond Portsmouth 2030 Active RN
HMS Somerset Devonport 2031 Active RN
HMS Sutherland Devonport 2033 Active RN
HMS Kent Portsmouth 2034 Active RN
HMS Portland Devonport 2035 Active RN
HMS St. Albans Portsmouth 2036Hansard 3 Mar 2009 : Column 1446W—continued Question to the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) in-service dates and (b) current out-of-service dates are for each (i) submarine, (ii) frigate and (iii) destroyer in the Royal Navy, 3 March 2009. Active RN


The Royal Navy’s current Type 22 and Type 23 frigates will be replaced by the Future Surface Combatant
Future Surface Combatant
The Global Combat Ship is a ship design and construction programme currently underway by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence to replace the Royal Navy's 13 Type 23 frigates. The programme has been in development since 1998, initially under the designation "Future Surface Combatant "...

 programme, of which the first vessel (of the C1/Type 26 variant) is planned to enter service around 2020.

Type 23 frigates in fiction

  • HMS Westminster
    HMS Westminster (F237)
    HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992.Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles - as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford...

     was used for the Type 23 interior shots in the James Bond
    James Bond
    James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

     film Tomorrow Never Dies
    Tomorrow Never Dies
    Tomorrow Never Dies is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bruce Feirstein wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It follows Bond as he tries to stop a media mogul from engineering...

    in three different roles as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford. For the exterior shots a Type 23 model was constructed.
  • The ITV
    ITV
    ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

     series Making Waves was set aboard the Type 23 frigate HMS Suffolk (which was portrayed by HMS Grafton
    HMS Grafton (F80)
    HMS Grafton was a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. It was the ninth vessel to bear the name, and is named after the Duke of Grafton....

    ).
  • HMS Montrose
    HMS Montrose (F236)
    The second and current HMS Montrose is the eighth of a sixteen ship class of frigates, known as Type 23 or the 'Duke' class, of the Royal Navy. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde...

     and HMS Monmouth
    HMS Monmouth (F235)
    HMS Monmouth is the sixth Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the seventh ship to bear the name and was launched by Lady Eaton in 1991, being commissioned two years later....

     were used to portray the interior and exterior shots of the fictional HMS Monarch for the film Command Approved which is the centre piece of Action Stations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth, England.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK