HMS Ambuscade (F172)


HMS Ambuscade firing her 4.5" gun
Career (UK)
Name: HMS Ambuscade (F172)
Operator: Royal Navy
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yard number: 1008
Laid down: 1 September 1971
Launched: 18 January 1973
Commissioned: 5 September 1975
Decommissioned: 28 July 1993
Motto: Tempori insidior
("I bide my time")
Fate: Sold to Pakistan on 28 July 1993
General characteristics
Class and type: Type 21 frigate
Displacement: 3,250 tons full load
Length: 384 ft (117 m)
Beam: 41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
Draught: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion:

COGOG:
2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines

2 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1A 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 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 naval gun
2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
4 × MM38 Exocet missiles
1 × quadruple Sea Cat SAMs
2 × triple ASW torpedo tubes
2 × Corvus chaff launchers
1 × Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft carried: 1 × Westland Wasp helicopter, later refitted for 1 × Lynx

HMS Ambuscade (F172) was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland. She was sold to Pakistan in 1993 and is still in service as the PNS Tariq.

Service history

Ambuscade 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. Exocet launchers were also added in 'B' position later on in 1984/5 and 3" launchers relocated to 02 deck midships.

In 1983 Ambuscade collided with USS Dale in the Indian Ocean, resulting in part of her bows being torn away.[1]Ambuscade was laid up in Bombay for 6 weeks while a new bow was constructed and fitted.[2]

On 8 June 1984, Ambuscade went to the assistance of the schooner Stena of Sitoo, which had struck an object in the North Sea and been holed below the waterline.[3]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "HMS Ambuscade". Clydebuilt. http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=1611. Retrieved 8 November 2009. 
  2. ^ "Collision USS Dale". HMS Ambuscade Association. http://www.ambuscade.org.uk/Amb_Collision01-1.htm. Retrieved 8 November 2009. 
  3. ^ "Air-sea aid for holed schooner" The Times (London). Saturday, 9 June 1984. Issue 61853, col A, B, p. 3.

External links