Leeds Castle 1990
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Leeds Castle | P258 | 985 | Hall Russell, Aberdeen | 18.10.1979 | 29.10.1980 | 27.10.1981 | to Bangladesh 4.2010 (ধলেশ্বরী [Dhaleshwari]) |
| Dumbarton Castle | P265 | 986 | Hall Russell, Aberdeen | 25.6.1980 | 3.6.1981 | 12.3.1982 | to Bangladesh 4.2010 (ধলেশ্বরী [Bijoy]) |
|
Displacement standard, t |
1350 |
|
Displacement full, t |
1550 |
|
Length, m |
75.0 pp 81.0 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
11.5 |
|
Draught, m |
3.42 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 Ruston 12-RK 320DM diesels |
|
Power, h. p. |
5640 |
|
Max speed, kts |
20 |
|
Fuel, t |
diesel oil 186 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
10000(12) |
|
Armament |
1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 2 x 1 - 7.6/90, helicopter deck, 2 x 1 - 50 rocket flare launchers, provision for mechanical and acoustic minesweeping gear, mines |
|
Electronic equipment |
type 994, type 1006 radars, UAN(1) ECM suite, 4x DLE decoy RL, 2x2 DLF(2) floating decoy launchers |
|
Complement |
45 |
Project history: The need of a property designed OPV led to Naval Staff Target 7040 being prepared. Experience with the 'Island' class showed that more length would make for greater crew efficiency on extended patrol and enable the ship to have alternative roles. What had emerged was a substantial (but still cheap) ship which can been given a selection of weapons and sensors to meet customers' differing needs. In the RN version it was decided not to install a helicopter hangar, but to use the space instead to provide a bigger flight deck on which a Sea King can land and refuel if necessary. In wartime they could ship an OTO Melara 76mnvr62 compact.
Modernizations: early 1990s, both: - 1 x 1 - 40/60; + 1 x 1 - 30/75 DES-30B
Naval service: Both ships acted as dispatch vessels in the South Atlantic during the Falklands conflict, proof of their sea-keeping abilities.
Dumbarton Castle 2003
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2016