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 helicopters 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.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Type 23 class |
| Builders: | Swan Hunter and Yarrows |
| Operators: |  Royal Navy 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 HMS Sutherland recently achieved 34.4 knots during high-speed trials (November 2008) |
| Range: | 14,485km (9000miles) at 15 knots |
| 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 |
