HMS Monmouth (F235)

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Career

Ordered:	July 1988
Laid down:	1 June 1989
Launched:	23 November 1991
Commissioned:	24 September 1993
Decommissioned:
Fate:	Active in service as of 2006.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	4,900 tonnes
Length:	133 m (463 ft)
Beam:	16.1 m (52.9 ft)
Draught:	7.3 m
Propulsion:	CODLAG (Combined Diesel-eLectric And Gas) 2 Rolls-Royce Spey boost gas-turbines 4 Paxman Valenta diesel engines 2 GEC electric motors
Speed:	28 knots, 15 knots on diesel-electric
Range:	7,800 miles at 15 knots
Complement:	185
Armament:	2 ASuW Harpoon quad launchers Vertical launch system Sea Wolf missiles BAE 4.5 inch (110 mm) Mk 8 gun 2 Oerlikon 30 mm guns 4 Sting Ray torpedo tubes Seagnat and DFL3 decoy launchers
Aircraft:Merlin HM Mk1
Motto:

HMS Monmouth (F235) 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.

Affectionately known as 'The Black Duke', HMS Monmouth is the only ship in service with the Royal Navy that has its name painted in black and flies a plain black flag in addition to the ensign. This is due to the dissolution of the title and the blacking out of the Coat of Arms of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685 following the Monmouth Rebellion against James II of England.

See also: Monmouth Rebellion

In early 2004 the ship was assigned to the Atlantic Patrol Task North. In 2006 HMS Monmouth underwent operational sea training, conducted by Flag Officer Sea Training, in which she spent six weeks fighting off staged attacks by ships and submarines.