HMS London (F95)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS London.
HMS London
Career (United Kingdom)
Name: HMS London
Namesake: London
Operator: Royal Navy
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down: 7 February 1983
Launched: 27 October 1984
Commissioned: 5 June 1987
Decommissioned: 14 January 1999
Identification: Pennant number: F95
Fate: Sold to Romania on 14 January 2003
Career (Romania)
Name: Regina Maria
Namesake: Marie of Edinburgh
Acquired: 14 January 2003
Commissioned: 21 April 2005
Identification: Pennant number: F222
Status: In active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:Type 22 frigate
Displacement:5,300 tonnes
Length:148.1 m (486 ft)
Beam:14.8 m (49 ft)
Draught:6.4 m (21 ft)
Propulsion:2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B high-speed gas turbines (54,000 shp / 40 MW)
2 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C cruise gas turbines (9,700 shp / 7.2 MW)
Speed:18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (cruise)
30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (max)
Complement:250
Armament:UK:
2 × 6 GWS25 Sea Wolf surface-to-air missile launchers
4 × 1 MM.38 Exocet SSM Launchers
2 × Twin 30 mm AA
2 × 20 mm GAM-BO1 guns
4 × 7.62mm GPMGs
Romania:
76/62 Oto Melara Super-Rapid gun
Aircraft carried:UK:
Lynx Mk.8
Romania:
IAR-330 Puma Naval

HMS London was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy, originally named Bloodhound but renamed London at the request of the Lord Mayor of London.

She was flagship of the Royal Navy task force during the First Gulf War in 1991.

She was decommissioned on 14 January 1999 and sold to the Romanian Navy on 14 January 2003, being commissioned as Regina Maria on 21 April 2005 after Queen Marie of Romania, wife of King Ferdinand I of Romania. Before the sale the Sea Wolf and Exocet missile systems were removed, and the only armament the ship had when delivered was two 30mm BMARC cannons and two three-tube ASW torpedo launchers. The Romanian Navy had a 76mm Oto-Melera gun system fitted forward where the Exocets had been mounted, but no missile systems, or additional weapons have been fitted. There has since been some controversy over the price at which Romania purchased the ship.[1]

Commanding Officers

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Leigh, David (13 June 2006). "We paid three times too much for UK frigates, Romania says". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 14 June 2006.

Publications