HMS Avenger (F185)

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Avenger with RFA Fort Austin
Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	30 October 1974
Launched:	20 November 1975
Commissioned:	15 April 1978
Decommissioned:	23 September 1994
Fate:	Sold to Pakistan on 23 September 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:	One Mk8 4.5 inch (110 mm) gun Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns Four SeaCat SAMs Two Corvus chaff launchers One Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft:	One Westland Wasp when built, refitted later for one Westland Lynx
Motto:	none

HMS Avenger (F185) was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position.

Avenger took part in the Falklands War and by the mid- 1980s 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.

Avenger decommissioned and was sold to Pakistan on 23 September 1994, being renamed Tippu Sultan. Exocet was not transferred to Pakistan and Tippu Sultan had her obsolete Sea Cat 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 20 mm and 30 mm guns were fitted.

Tippu Sultan remains in service with the Pakistani Navy.

See HMS Avenger 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