Type 23 frigate

Type 23 frigate. The Type 23, or Duke class, is a class of guided-missile frigate that has served as the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface escort fleet since the late 1980s. Designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare in the North Atlantic during the Cold War, the class proved highly adaptable, seeing extensive global service. Several vessels have been sold to foreign navies, including the Chilean Navy and the Romanian Naval Forces.

Design and development

The design emerged from a UK requirement to counter the potent threat posed by new Soviet Navy nuclear submarines like the Akula-class submarine. Key figures in its development included the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), with significant input from Yarrow Shipbuilders. The design process emphasized quietness for effective sonar performance, leading to the innovative use of a CODLAG propulsion system. Lessons from the Falklands War, particularly the loss of HMS Sheffield (D80), influenced the incorporation of better damage control and defensive systems. The lead ship, HMS Norfolk (F230), was ordered in 1984.

Description

The Type 23 has a length of 133 meters and a displacement of approximately 4,900 tonnes. Its stealthy hull form reduces radar cross-section. The integrated CODLAG system combines Rolls-Royce Spey gas turbines and Paxman Ventura diesel generators, driving electric motors for quiet, efficient cruising. The principal anti-submarine weapon is the Sting Ray torpedo, launched from twin torpedo tubes. For area air defence, the vessels are equipped with the GWS 26 Sea Wolf system, later upgraded to the more capable Sea Ceptor on remaining Royal Navy units. The main gun is a Bofors 57 mm Mk3. The ships also carry a Westland Lynx or, later, an AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopter, and from 2018, the Lockheed Martin Harpoon anti-ship missile system was removed. The core sensor is the Type 2050 sonar, supported by the Type 2087 towed array sonar on later vessels.

Operational history

The class entered service with the Royal Navy in 1989 with the commissioning of HMS Norfolk (F230). They have been deployed globally, from the Persian Gulf to the South Atlantic. Notable deployments include HMS Argyll (F231)'s presence during the Handover of Hong Kong in 1997 and HMS Somerset (F82)'s interception of a Russian Navy vessel in the English Channel in 2021. Ships of the class have seen active combat, with HMS Westminster (F237) and HMS Northumberland (F238) firing Tomahawk land-attack missiles during the 2018 missile strikes against Syria. Several have conducted counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and provided escort duties in the Gulf of Aden. The class has been progressively succeeded by the new Type 26 frigate.

Ships of the class

A total of sixteen ships were built for the Royal Navy. The first three, HMS Norfolk (F230), HMS Argyll (F231), and HMS Lancaster (F229), were decommissioned and sold to the Chilean Navy, where they were renamed Almirante Cochrane (FF-05), Almirante Condell (FF-06), and Almirante Lynch (FF-07). Two others, HMS Grafton (F80) and HMS Marlborough (F233), were sold to the Romanian Naval Forces as Regele Ferdinand (F221) and Regina Maria (F222). Remaining active Royal Navy units include HMS Iron Duke (F234), HMS Monmouth (F235), HMS Montrose (F236), HMS Westminster (F237), HMS Northumberland (F238), HMS Richmond (F239), HMS Somerset (F82), HMS Sutherland (F81), HMS Kent (F78), HMS Portland (F79), and HMS St Albans (F83).

See also

* Type 26 frigate * Type 31 frigate * Frigate classes of the Royal Navy * List of frigate classes of the Royal Navy

Category:Frigate classes Category:Cold War frigates of the United Kingdom