HMS Alacrity (F174)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 5 March 1973 |
| Launched: | 18 September 1974 |
| Commissioned: | 2 July 1977 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 March 1994 |
| Fate: | Sold to Pakistan on 1 March 1994 |
| Struck: | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,250 tons full load |
| Length: | 384 feet (117 m) |
| Beam: | 41 ft 9 in (12.7 m) |
| Draught: | 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m) |
| Propulsion: | Two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines, plus two Rolls-Royce RM1A Tyne gas turbines for cruising |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots (7,400 km at 31 km/h), 1,200 nautical miles at 30 knots (2,200 km at 56 km/h) |
| Complement: | 177 |
| Armament: | One Mk8 4.5 in (114 mm) gun Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns |
| Aircraft: | One Westland Wasp when built, refitted later for one Westland Lynx |
| Motto: | Adjuvero propero (I hasten to help) |
HMS Alacrity (F174) was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was completed with Exocet launchers in "B" position.
Alacrity participated in the Falklands War, departing Devonport on 5 April 1982.
The most notable incident involving Alacrity was the sinking of the Argentine supply ship ARA Isla de los Estados over the night of 10-11 May 1982 in the only surface action of the conflict. Alacrity was slightly damaged by an Argentine bomb on 1 May.
As Alacrity exited the Falkland Sound on May 11, the Argentine submarine, ARA San Luis was reported to have fired two torpedoes at Alacrity and her sister ship Arrow. Luckily for the British, these missed the ships and both Type 21s rejoined the Task Force.
As with the other surviving Type 21 frigates, Alacrity was suffering from cracking in her hull by the mid-1980s. She was taken in for refitting, with a steel plate being welded down each side of the ship. At the same time modifications were made to reduce hull noise.
Alacrity was decommissioned and transferred to Pakistan on 1 March 1994, being renamed Badr. Exocet was not transferred to Pakistan and Badr had her obsolete Sea Cat launcher removed. A Chinese LY 60N missile launcher was fitted in place of the Exocet launchers. Signaal DA08 air search radar replaced the Type 992 and SRBOC chaff launchers and 20 mm and 30 mm guns were fitted.
Badr remains in service with the Pakistani Navy.
See HMS Alacrity for other ships of the same name.
| Type 21 frigate |
| Amazon | Antelope | Active | Ambuscade | Arrow | Alacrity | Ardent | Avenger |
List of frigates of the Royal Navy |
