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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

ESCORTS   

"Broad Beam LEANDER" frigates (HERMIONE) (1968 - 1973)

Hermione 1968

Achilles 1979

Andromeda 1981

Andromeda 1990

 

Displacement standard, t	2500
Displacement full, t	2962
Length, m	109.7 pp 113.4 oa
Breadth, m	13.1
Draught, m	5.50 max
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets White-English Electric Y-160 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	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	F12, 16, 57, 58, 60, 69, 71, 75: type 965 AKE-1, type 993, type 903, type 904, type 978 radars, type 162, type 170B, type 184 sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL F70, 72: type 965 AKE-1, type 993, type 903, type 904, type 978 radars, type 162, type 170B, type 184 sonars, UA-8/9, UA-13, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL
Complement	251 - 263

Project history: To provide more fuel stowage and a better margin for future growth, the last ten of the Leander class were 'kippered' by adding 0.6m to the beam. This reduced speed slightly, but improved stability and endurance, both items of greater fighting value. Although referred to in the RN as Type 12s or 'broad-beam Leanders' they formed a separate class, with improved machinery, a difference enhanced by the radical reconstruction from 1977. The steady improvement in machinery stated in the original class continued, and these ships had the Y-160 plant. Speed dropped by half a knot because of increased displacement, but the improved degree of automation made far more efficient use of the machinery.

    As built the ten ships were identical with the Leander class in equipment, but the extra internal volume meant that they could be reconstructed to carry two important new systems: the long-range Type 2016 sonar and the Seawolf GWS25 Mod 0 missile system, capable of destroying sea-skimming missiles as well as supersonic aircraft. The two systems were inter-dependent because the Type 2016 was intended for detecting fast submarines in the GIUK Gap, far from the support of shore-based aircraft. The most likely opposition to be encountered was surface attack, against which Exocet missiles provided a long-range defence, and missile attack, either from bombers or from submarines. The Sea Wolf system was intended particularly to counter the 'pop-up' missile fired from Soviet 'Charlie' and 'Papa' class submarines.

Modernizations: 1983, Achilles, Apollo, Ariadne: - type 993 radar; + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, type 994 radar

1983, Diomede: - type 993 radar; + 1 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 12, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7; + type 994 radar

1981, Andromeda; 1983, Jupiter; 1984, Scylla: as Batch 3A -  armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM (32 Sea Wolf), 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 1006, type 967/968, type 910 radars, type 162M, type 2008, type 2016 sonars, UA-A1, 2x type 670 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, type 182 torpedo decoy, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3300t, complement 260

1982, Charybdis; 1983, Hermione: as Batch 3A -  armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM (32 Sea Wolf), 2 x 1 - 20/90 GAM-B01, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 1006, type 967/968, type 910 radars, type 162M, type 2008, type 2016 sonars, UA-A1, 2x type 670 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, type 182 torpedo decoy, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3300t, complement 260

Naval service: No significant events.

Andromeda 1981

Ariadne 1988

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2015