Euryalus 1964
Sirius 1987
Aurora 1978
Cleopatra 1979
Aurora 1979
Argonaut 1981
Cleopatra 1990
Minerva 1990
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Leander (ex-Weymouth) | F109 | 1591 | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 10.4.1959 | 28.6.1961 | 27.3.1963 | sunk as target 14.9.1989 |
| Ajax (ex-Fowey) | F114 | 1285 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 19.10.1959 | 16.8.1962 | 11.12.1963 | BU 8.1988 |
| Dido (ex-Hastings (ii)) | F104 | 2155 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 2.12.1959 | 22.12.1961 | 18.9.1963 | to New Zealand 7.1983 (Southland) |
| Penelope (ex-Coventry, ex-Panther) | F127 | 165 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 14.3.1961 | 17.8.1962 | 1.11.1963 | to Ecuador 4.1991 (Presidente Eloy Alfaro) |
| Aurora | F10 | 721 | John Brown, Clydebank | 1.6.1961 | 28.11.1962 | 9.4.1964 | BU 9.1990 |
| Euryalus | F15 | 691 | Scotts, Greenock | 2.11.1961 | 6.6.1963 | 16.9.1964 | BU 9.1990 |
| Galatea | F18 | 1935 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 29.12.1961 | 23.5.1963 | 25.4.1964 | sunk as target 22.6.1988 |
| Arethusa | F38 | 2015 | White, Cowes | 17.9.1962 | 5.11.1963 | 29.9.1965 | sunk 1.6.1991 |
| Naiad | F39 | 2224 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 30.10.1962 | 4.11.1963 | 15.3.1965 | for hull trials 1989 |
| Phoebe | F42 | 681 | Stephen, Glasgow | 3.6.1963 | 8.7.1964 | 15.4.1966 | BU 10.1992 |
| Cleopatra | F28 | Devonport DYd | 19.6.1963 | 25.3.1964 | 1.3.1966 | BU 1.1994 | |
| Minerva | F45 | 179 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 27.7.1963 | 19.12.1964 | 13.5.1966 | BU 1.1994 |
| Sirius | F40 | Portsmouth DYd | 9.8.1963 | 22.9.1964 | 15.6.1966 | sunk as target 18.9.1998 | |
| Juno | F52 | 4207 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 16.7.1964 | 24.11.1965 | 18.7.1967 | TS 1985, BU 2.1995 |
| Argonaut | F56 | 758 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 27.11.1964 | 8.2.1966 | 17.8.1967 | BU 1.1995 |
| Danae | F47 | Devonport DYd | 16.1.1965 | 21.10.1965 | 10.10.1967 | to Ecuador 4.1991 (Morán Valverde) |
|
Displacement standard, t |
2350 |
|
Displacement full, t |
2860 |
|
Length, m |
109.7 pp 113.4 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
12.5 |
|
Draught, m |
5.50 max |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
F10, 15, 18, 28, 38, 39, 104, 109, 114, 127: 2 sets White-English Electric Y-100 geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers F40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: 2 sets White-English Electric Y-136 geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
30000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
28 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 460 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
4000(15) |
|
Armament |
F10, 15, 18, 38, 104, 109, 114, 127: 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp) F28, 39, 40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: 1 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM (12 Sea Cat), 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp) |
|
Electronic equipment |
F10, 15, 18, 38, 104, 109, 114, 127: type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 903, type 978 radars, type 162M, type 184M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL F28, 39, 40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 904, type 978 radars, type 162M, type 184M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL |
|
Complement |
251 - 263 |
Project history: The advances made in the 'Tribal' class pointed the way to a return to the concept of a general-purpose escort instead of the prevailing idea of specialized escorts operating in a group. Work done on a revision of the Type 12 design for New Zealand, incorporating two helicopters and full air-conditioning, provided further impetus to studies by M K Purvis. The design which evolved managed to incorporate the long-range air warning radar and the helicopter of the Tribal' class, but with the armament, fire control and rough-weather capability of the Whitby/Rothesay design.
The secret was to replace the separate ballast tanks of the Type 12 with self-compensating fuel tanks, in which the fuel was displaced by sea water as it was consumed. As many heavy items as possible were moved lower down in the ship, increasing not only the margin of stability, but also the amount of space for the operations room, extra generating capacity and auxiliary machinery. The forecastle deck was extended right aft and a new superstructure deck was built above that, extending from the bridge back to the helicopter hangar. This transformed the appearance and as it was complemented by a well-balanced funnel the Leander set a new standard of good looks sadly lacking in some previous British designs. Building of the class was expedited by stopping work on the last three Rothesays at an early stage, and a further thirteen ships were laid down under the 1960-64 Programmes.
The class was generally considered to be the finest escorts ever built for the Royal Navy and some of the best in the world. To increase the margin for future growth the next group of Leanders ordered was given 0.6m more beam.
The machinery of the original design was improved, providing a greater degree of automatic control: the first ten had the Y-100 type and the rest Y-136. One of the benefits conferred by having advanced machinery control was the remarkable manoeuvrability and acceleration which was such a feature of the Leanders. During the 'Cod War' die Leanders proved that they could outmanoeuvre the Icelandic gunboats by changing speed rapidly.
Modernizations: 1970, Penelope: - 1 x 2 - 120/45; + 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM (6 Sea Wolf), type 967/968, type 910 radars
1972, Leander; 1973, Ajax; 1975, Naiad; 1976, Euryalus; 1977, Arethusa; 1978, Dido: as Batch 1 - armament consisted of 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (24 Sea Cat), 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 ASuM (10 Ikara), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp); type 993, type 904, type 1006, Ikara control radars, type 170B, type 184M, type 162M, type 199 sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, ADAWS-5 CCS; 2450/2960t, complement 257.
1974, Galatea; 1976, Aurora: as Batch 1 - armament consisted of 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (24 Sea Cat), 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 ASuM (10 Ikara), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp); type 993, type 904, type 1006 radars, type 170B, type 184M, type 162M, type 199 sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, ADAWS-5 CCS; 2450/2960t, complement 257.
1979, Penelope: - 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM, type 967/968, type 910 radars; + 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6
1975, Cleopatra; 1977, Sirius, Phoebe; 1979, Minerva: as Batch 2A - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM (24 Sea Cat), 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 12, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223
1980, Argonaut; 1982, Penelope: as Batch 2B - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 3 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (36 Sea Cat), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9 ECM, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Mk 36 SRBOC, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223
1981, Danae: as Batch 2B - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 3 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (36 Sea Cat), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 2 x 1 - 20/90 GAM-B01, 1 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 12, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9 ECM, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Mk 36 SRBOC, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223
1982, Phoebe: as Batch 2TA - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031(1) sonar, UA-13 ECM suite
1983, Argonaut; 1985, Sirius: as Batch 2TA - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031(1) sonar
1983, Cleopatra: as Batch 2TA: - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031 sonar, UA-13 ECM suite
1986, Arethusa: as Batch 1B: - 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 AsuM, 2 x 1 - 40/60, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp), type 170B, type 199 sonars, ADAWS-5 CCS; + 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx), type 2031(1) sonar, CAAIS CCS
early 1980s, Leander, Ajax, Aurora, Euryalus, Galatea, Naiad: - type 993 radar, type 199 sonar; + type 994 radar
1985, Juno: as navigation TS: - 1 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM, 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp), type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 904, type 978 radars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx), type 1006, type 993 radars, type 170M sonar
Naval service: No significant events.
Achilles 1972
Leander 1980
Achilles 1980
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2015