HMS York (D98)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS York.
HMS York in Jersey on 4 May 2009.
Career (UK)
Name: HMS York
Operator: Royal Navy
Builder: Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down: 18 January 1980
Launched: 20 June 1982
Sponsored by: Lady Gosling
Christened: 9 August 1985
Commissioned: 9 August 1985
Decommissioned: 27 September 2012[1]
Identification: Pennant number: D98
Deck code: YK
International callsign: GBBB[2]
Motto: Bon Espoir ("Good Hope")
Status: Awaiting Disposal
Badge: On a Field Blue, a White rose with Gold keys issuant Red.
General characteristics
Class and type:Type 42 destroyer
Displacement:5,200 tonnes
Length:141 m (463 ft)
Beam:15.2 m (50 ft)
Propulsion:Combined gas or gas turbines, 2 shafts
2 turbines producing 36 megawatts (48,000 hp)
Speed:34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)[3]
Complement:287
Armament:
Aircraft carried:1 × Lynx HMA8 armed with:
  • 4 × anti ship missiles
  • 2 × anti submarine torpedoes

HMS York was a Batch III Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched on 20 June 1982 at Wallsend,[4] Tyne and Wear and sponsored by Lady Gosling, York was the last Type 42 built. The ship's crest was the White Rose of York, and the "red cross with lions passant" funnel badge was derived from the coat of arms of the City of York. With a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph), she was the Royal Navy's fastest destroyer.[3]

Operational history

In 2003, she took part in the invasion of Iraq providing air cover and area protection for the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. In 2004, she was fitted with the MOD 1 variant of the mark 8 4.5-inch gun. She and HMS Edinburgh were the only two Type 42s to be so fitted.

In July 2006, York joined HMS Gloucester in evacuating British citizens from Beirut in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict making several trips in and out of Lebanon, ferrying evacuees to Cyprus.[5]

In February 2010, York and the auxiliary RFA Wave Ruler were deployed in the Falkland Islands coinciding with a period of increased tensions between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the former's plans to begin drilling for oil in the seas surrounding the islands.[6]

In February 2011, York was deployed to Malta to assist in the evacuation of British nationals from Libya.[7]

On 21 April 2011, York arrived at the East Cove Military Port in the Falkland Islands, beginning patrol duties for the islands.[3]

On 12 December 2011, York spotted the Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with its carrier group northeast of Orkney, off the coast of northern Scotland, and shadowed the carrier for a week. This was the first time Kuznetsov had deployed near UK waters and the closest in 20 years that a Russian naval task group had deployed to the UK. She then sailed around the top of Scotland and into the Atlantic past western Ireland, where she conducted flying operations with her Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker jets and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters in international airspace.[8][9]

Two drill Sea Dart missiles on York's launcher.

On 13 April 2012, HMS Edinburgh fired the last ever operational Sea Dart missiles after a thirty year career. As such York will complete her career without the system being operational.[10]

She entered Portsmouth harbour for the final time on 20 September 2012, and was decommissioned on 27 September 2012.[1]

Affiliations

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Royal Navy's HMS York makes final Portsmouth return". BBC News. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Royal Navy Bridge Card, February 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Title unknown".
  4. ↑ "HMS York History". Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Lebanon Britons speak of relief". BBC News. 19 July 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "Gordon Brown says UK is prepared in Falkland Islands". BBC News. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Chulov, Martin (24 February 2011). "Libya rebels isolate Gaddafi, seizing cities and oilfields". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "York completes a week shadowing Russia's biggest warship around the British Isles" (Press release). Royal Navy. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "British warship escorts Russian aircraft carrier past UK waters". The Daily Telegraph (London). 7 February 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "HMS Edinburgh Fires Final Sea Dart Missiles". Retrieved 20 May 2012.

External links

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