HMS Arrow (F173)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	28 September 1972
Launched:	5 February 1974
Commissioned:	28 July 1976
Decommissioned:	1 March 1994
Fate:	Sold to Pakistan on 1 March 1994.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	3,250 tons full load
Length:	384 ft (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 (2,220 km at 56 km/h)
Complement:	177
Armament:	1 × Mk8 4.5 inch (110 mm) gun 2 x Oerlikon 20 mm cannons 4 × Sea Cat SAMs 2 × Corvus chaff launchers 1 × Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft:	1 × Westland Wasp when built, refitted later for Westland Lynx
Motto:	Celeriter certus (Latin: "Swiftly sure")

HMS Arrow (F173) was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position.

Arrow participated in the Falklands War, where on 4 May 1982 she assisted in extinguishing the fires and evacuating the crew of the Type 42 destroyer Sheffield, which had been struck by an Exocet missile. Arrow also helped extinguish the fires on the Whitby-class frigate Plymouth, on 8 June 1982.

The silhouette of HMS Arrow is to be found, along with the date May 1, painted on the side of Argentine Air Force Dassault Mirage 5/IAI Finger serial number C-412. Also painted on C-412 is the silhouette of HMS Brilliant and the date May 21. These kill markings probably has to do with the damage both ships suffered in the Falklands War, HMS Arrow being slightly damaged by cannon fire May 1 1982 and HMS Brilliant also being slightly damaged by cannon fire, this on May 21 1982 outside San Carlos Water. The last time the Mirage 5 with said kill markings was spotted was during the November 2005 multi-national Exercise Ceibo in Argentina.

By the mid-1980s Arrow was suffering from cracking in her hull. 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.

Arrow decommissioned and was transferred to Pakistan on 1 March 1994, being renamed Kaibar. Exocet was not transferred to Pakistan and Kaibar had her obsolete Sea Cat missile launcher removed. A quadruple Harpoon missile launcher was fitted in place of the Exocet launchers and a Phalanx CIWS was fitted in place of the Sea Cat launcher. SRBOC chaff launchers and 20mm and 30mm guns were fitted.