Type 23 frigate

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HMS Somerset
Class overview
Name: Type 23 class
Builders: Yarrow and Swan Hunter
Operators: Naval flag of United Kingdom Royal Navy Naval flag of Chile Chilean Navy
Preceded by: Type 22 class frigate
Succeeded by: None
In commission: 24th November 1987
Completed: 16
Active: 13 (Royal Navy) & 3 (Chilean Navy)
General characteristics
Class and type: Frigate
Displacement:

Standard:3500tons

Full Load:4200tons
Length: 133m (436ft 4in)
Beam: 16.1m (52ft 10in)
Draught: 7.3m (24ft)
Propulsion: CODLAG with four 1510kW (2025-shp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators powering two GEC electric motors delivering 2980kW (4000 shp) and two Rolls Royce Spey SM1A delivering 23,190kW (31,100 shp) to two shafts
Speed: 28knots
Range: 14,485km (9000miles) at 15knots
Complement: 181
Armament:

two quadruple launchers for eight Harpoon SSM's Two GWS.26 VLS for 32 Sea Wolf SAMS One 4.5in (114mm) Mk 8 DP gun Two DS 30B 30mm AA guns

Two twin 12.75in (324mm) tubes for Stingray ASW torpedoes.
Aircraft carried: one Lynx HMA.Mk3/8 or Merlin HM.Mk 1 helicopter


The Type 23 frigate is a class of frigate serving with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. All the ships are named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, HMS St Albans was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in June 2002. The combination of Merlin with their advanced anti submarine equipment, and Sonar 2087, has according to the Royal Navy, re-affirmed its reputation as a leader in anti submarine warfare.

Contents

[edit] Design

[edit] Origin

The Type 23 was initially conceived as an anti-submarine warfare platform, with a Westland Lynx or EHI Merlin helicopter and a towed array sonar, to replace the Leander-class frigate. They were to hunt and destroy Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic, and it was initially proposed that they would not mount defensive armament. Instead the Sea Wolf missile system was to be carried by the Fort Victoria-class replenishment oiler, one of which was to support typically four Type 23s. The Forts would also provide servicing facilities for the force's helicopters; the Type 23 would have facilities only for rearming and refuelling them.

[edit] Evolution

As a result of lessons learned from the Falklands War, the design grew in size and complexity to encompass a medium calibre gun for naval gunfire support and the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf (VLS) system as a defence against low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missiles such as Exocet. With the addition of Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, the Type 23 had evolved into a complex and balanced warship which introduced a host of new technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross section reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a CODLAG (Combined Diesel-electric and Gas) propulsion system providing very quiet running for anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch missile technology and — after a false start — a fully-distributed combat management system.

The Vertical Launch Sea Wolf surface-to-air missile system was designed for and first deployed on the Type 23. Unlike conventional Sea Wolf, the missile is boosted vertically until it clears the ship's super-structure and then turns to fly directly to the target. Consequently, the ship's structure does not cause no-fire zones that would delay or inhibit missile firing in a conventionally launched system.

HMS Norfolk was the first of the class to enter service, commissioned into the Fleet on June 1, 1990 at a cost of £135.449 million GBP, later vessels cost £60-96 million GBP. [1]

On July 21, 2004, in the Delivering Security in a Changing World review of defence spending, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced that HMS Norfolk, Marlborough and Grafton were to be paid off. In 2005 it was announced that these three vessels would be sold to the Chilean Navy, to be delivered in 2008. In September 2005 BAE Systems was awarded a £134 million GBP contract to prepare the frigates for transfer. The Norfolk was handed over by the Defence Logistics Organisation and BAE Systems and commissioned into the Chilean Navy on the 22 November 2006, and named Almirante Cochrane (FF-05) (after Lord Cochrane, a naval hero to both the British and Chileans). The Grafton was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 March 2007 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Lynch (FF-07). The Marlborough was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 May 2008 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Condell (FF-06).

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Weapon Systems

Aircraft:

[edit] Electronic Systems

[edit] Ships

 Name   Pennant   Builder   Launched   Commissioned   Home port   Status 
Norfolk F230 YSL, Glasgow July 11, 1987 November 24, 1989 Devonport Sold to Chilean Navy
Argyll F231 YSL April 8, 1989 May 30, 1991 Devonport Active
Lancaster F229 YSL May 24, 1990 May 1, 1991 Portsmouth Active
Marlborough F233 Swan Hunter , Wallsend January 21, 1991 June 14, 1991 Portsmouth Sold to Chilean Navy
Iron Duke F234 YSL March 2, 1991 May 30, 1991 Portsmouth Active
Monmouth F235 YSL November 23, 1991 1993 Devonport Active
Montrose F236 YSL July 31, 1992 June 2, 1994 Devonport Active
Westminster F237 Swan Hunter February 9, 1992 1994 Portsmouth Active
Northumberland F238 Swan Hunter April 1992 May 1994 Devonport Active
Richmond F239 Swan Hunter April 6, 1993 October 1996 Portsmouth Active
Somerset F82 YSL June 24, 1994 September 20, 1996 Devonport Active
Grafton F80 YSL November 5, 1994 May 1997 Portsmouth Sold to Chilean Navy
Sutherland F81 YSL March 9, 1996 July 4, 1997 Devonport Active
Kent F78 YSL May 28, 1998 February 2000 Portsmouth Active
Portland F79 Marconi Marine (YSL) December 15, 2000 May 3, 2001 Devonport Active
St Albans F83 BAE Systems Marine (YSL) May 6, 2000 November 2001 Portsmouth Active

[edit] Type 23 frigates in fiction

[edit] References

The Encyclopedia of Warships, From World War Two to the Present Day, General Editor Robert Jackson

  1. ^ House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 5 Jul 2001. Hansard (Official Report). HM Government (2001-07-05). Retrieved on 2007-07-23.

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Type 23 Duke Class Frigate

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Type 23 frigate
List of frigates of the Royal Navy