Home > Type 23 frigate

The frigate was initially designed as a light anti-submarine warfare platform, with a Lynx or EH-101 Merlin active dipping sonar helicopter, to replace the frigates of the Leander class. The frigates, with no anti-air armament and which would operate primarily in the North Atlantic, would be resupplied by a large force of Fort class replenishment ships. These supply ships were to be fitted with the Sea Wolf missile system for protection of the frigates. Constraints on the navy and the experiences of the Falklands War led to a redesign of the frigates with the addition of a main gun, and a reduced radar signature. The frigate's role was further expanded to cover all forms of naval operations with the addition of Harpoon and Sea Wolf missile systems.

On July 21 2004, in a review of defence spending, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced HMS Norfolk, HMS Marlborough (F233) and HMS Grafton (F80)HMS Grafton (F80 is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. In 2003, the ship was used in the ITV drama series 'Making Waves' as the fictional Royal Navy warship HMS Suffolk''. In early 2004 the ship was deployed in the Persian Gulf. In July 2004, it was ann were to be paid off. Given that the the oldest vessel is just over ten years old it seems likely that these would be sold.

Specifications:

Length: 133m (436.2ft) Beam: 16.1m (52.8ft) Displacement: 4,900 tonnes fl Crew: 185 Power: CODLAG (Combined Diesel, Electric and Gas). Two Rolls-Royce SpeyThe Spey is a low-bypass turbofan engine from Rolls-Royce that has been in widespread service for over 30 years. Originally intended for the civilian jetliner market when it was being designed in the late 1950s, the Spey machinery was also used in various 34,000hp (25MW) gas turbines; two AlstomAlstom (formerly GEC-Alsthom is a large French company whose businesses are power generation and manufacturing trains (e. the TGV and Eurostar) and ships (e. the Queen Mary 2). According to the company website, in the year 2001/02 Alstom had annual sales 1.5MW electric motors. Speed: 28kts (52km/h) maximum. 12,500km at 15kts (28km/h) Weapons:

• 2 x quad Harpoon missile launchers
• VLS GWS 26 Mod 1 Sea Wolf SAMA surface-to-air missile SAM is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. SAMs can be deployed from fixed installations or mobile launchers. The smallest SAMs are capable of being carried and launched by a single person. Radar system
• 1-4.5in (114mm) VickersThe Vickers corporation, founded as the Vickers company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment. Land armaments Vickers produced the Vickers machine gun, lovingly remembered by thousands of British machine gunners. The company Mk 8 gun (some ships being upgraded with the Mod 1)
• 2 x OerlikonOerlikon is a Swiss anti-aircraft artillery manufacturer made famous by its 20mm cannons in World War II. Copies and derivatives of these designs were used by the Germans, French, British and Japanese weapon manufacturers. Oerlikon was established in 1906 20mm guns
• 4 Cray Marine 324mm (2 Twin) TT. Marconi Stingray.
• NATO Seagnat , Type 182 and DLF3 decoy launchers

Aircraft: Lynx Mk 8 helicopter

• Armament:
  • Sea Skua missiles
  • Stingray torpedoes
  • depth charges

Sensors:

• Air/surface Search: Plessey Type 996, 3D
• Navigation: Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 or Racal Decca Type 1008
• Fire control: 2 Marconi Type 911
• Ferranti/Thompson-Sintra Type 2050 Sonar
• Dowty Type 2031Z to be replaced by Type 2087 2003

Ships

• HMS Norfolk (F230)
• HMS Argyll (F231)
• HMS Lancaster (F229)
• HMS Marlborough (F233)
• HMS Iron Duke (F234)
• HMS Monmouth (F235)
• HMS Montrose (F236)
• HMS Westminster (F237)
• HMS Northumberland (F238)
• HMS Richmond (F239)
• HMS Somersetl (F82)
• HMS Grafton (F80)
• HMS Sutherland (F81)
• HMS Kent (F78)
• HMS Portland (F79)
• HMS St Albans (F83)