HMS Newcastle (D87)
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| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Newcastle |
| Operator: | Royal Navy |
| Laid down: | 21 February 1973 |
| Launched: | 24 April 1975 |
| Commissioned: | 23 March 1978 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 February 2005 |
| Fate: | Awaiting disposal |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Type 42 destroyer |
| Displacement: | 4,820 tonnes |
| Length: | 125 m (410 ft) |
| Beam: | 14.3 m (47 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Propulsion: | COGOG (Combined Gas or Gas) turbines, 2 shafts 4 Rolls-Royce (2 Olympus TM3B and 2 Tyne) producing 36 MW |
| Speed: | 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Complement: | 287–312 |
| Armament: | 2 × Sea Dart Surface-to-air missile launcher 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mk.8 gun 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns 2 × Phalanx Close-in weapon system 2 × triple anti-submarine torpedo tubes NATO Seagnat and DLF3 decoy launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | Lynx HMA8 |
The eighth and current HMS Newcastle (D87) is a retired Type 42 (Batch 1) destroyer of the Royal Navy, launched in 1973. The Batch 1 ships are much smaller than the Batch 3 ships of the same class.
In 1998, Newcastle made her way to the British territory of Montserrat to assist the population, a few months after a devastating volcanic eruption, who were rather distressed and in need of outside assistance. HMS Liverpool had been the first ship to come to the aid of the people of Montserrat.
In 1999, Newcastle escorted HMS Invincible during the Kosovo War, in which Invincible performed with distinction, launching precise and deadly attacks on Serbian targets. Newcastle took part in six-month Atlantic Patrol Deployment in 2002. During this deployment, she visited Sierra Leone to display the continuing UK commitment to that country. She was the longest serving Type 42 in Royal Navy service,[dubious ] and speculation has been rife that four Type 42s would be either decommissioned or mothballed. Despite this in January 2004, Newcastle deployed to the Mediterranean for a 6 to 7-month tour of duty.
It was announced in July 2004, as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World review, that Newcastle would be decommissioned in January 2005. Newcastle was finally decommissioned on 1 February 2005 and placed into inactive reserve.
HMS Newcastle was the adopted ship of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her captain and crew were awarded the freedom of the city, and she was often referred to as the Geordie Gunboat.
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