The Type 23-class frigates are the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface combatant fleet.
These warships, also known as the Duke-class, have proudly served the Crown for over 30
years.
And now, they are waiting to be replaced by the new Type 26 and Type 31-class vessels.
Today, we are investigating the Type 23-class, the Duke of the seas.
Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel before we start, and give us a thumbs up if
you like our video.
To be notified of our new videos, please click the bell button.
Also, you can now click the join button to support our channel.
And as always, we would greatly appreciate all of your likes, comments, and shares.
The Type 23-class frigates have waved the White Ensign over nearly all seas since 1990.
Their silhouette has become an icon of the Royal Navy like its ancestor, the Leander-class.
The story of the Type 23-class frigates goes back to the early 1970s.
As early as 1972, the Royal Navy began to work on the Type 23-class.
But, initially, it would be a low-cost light frigate with a 100-metre length for anti-submarine
warfare, or ASW, missions because the Type 22-class, designed to replace the Leander-class,
was too expensive.
It was three times more pricey than the Type 12-class and one and a half times more than
the Type 21-class.
When the first Type 22-class vessel, HMS Broadsword, was laid down in 1975, its price jumped more
than twice.
The high costs of this frigate were also bad for the export efforts.
So, London was convinced to spare more money for a new ASW frigate programme.
But now, the Royal Navy demanded a more capable ship rather than a simpler and smaller one.
So, Yarrow changed the Type 23-class frigate design radically.
Also, now it would compete with Type 24 and Type 25-class designs of the other shipyards.
In 1982, the UK chose Yarrow's ship.
But, based on the 1982 Falklands War experiences, the Royal Navy demanded some modifications
to improve survivability.
After two years of work, the UK ordered the first ship in 1984.
Even though the required changes had caused to increase in costs, a Type 23-class vessel
was still less expensive than a Type 22 Batch 3-class frigate.
The first Type 23-class frigate, HMS Norfolk, was laid down on December 14, 1985, launched
on July 10, 1987, and commissioned on June 1, 1990.
However, due to performance issues, the UK decided to change the command and control
system of the ship in 1986.
Because of this delay, the early Type 23-class frigates entered service without the capability
to use the Sea Wolf missiles.
The original plan was for 23 ships, but due to changing operational requirements after
the end of the First Cold War, only 16 Type 23-class frigates were built.
The last frigate of the class, HMS St Albans, was laid down on April 18, 1999, launched
on May 6, 2000, and commissioned on June 6, 2002.
The steel hull of the Type 23-class vessel is beamier than previous British-designed
frigates.
The length matches the distance between peaks in a typical North Atlantic swell.
Thus, the frigate has excellent seaworthiness, and it is rare for waves to break over the
forecastle, which makes bulwarks unnecessary.
All vertical surfaces of the Type 23-class are sloped at 7 degrees to reduce radar cross-section.
There are no 90 degrees corners on the superstructure, and the design contains a minimal number of
radar "wave traps".
The remaining flat horizontal surfaces are coated with radar absorbent materials.
All major equipment is raft-mounted, and most machinery part is installed in acoustic cabinets
to reduce acoustic signature.
The drive shafts are short, while the skew-bladed propellers have fixed pitch to avoid the noise
made by controlled-pitch propellers.
There is a bubble device to reduce hull noise.
The Type 23-class is the first surface combatant equipped with a combined diesel-electric and
gas propulsion system, which provides an extended range and very quietly running for ASW operations.
The diesel-electric propulsion system gives the ship a 15-knot speed.
The first seven frigates have the Rolls-Royce Spey SM1A gas turbines, while the later ships
have SM1Cs.
Before the mid-life refit, the Type 23-class frigates of the Royal Navy had four 1,510
2,025 horsepower Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators.
Now, they have new MTU-made diesel generators, while the Chilean ships preserve the old propulsion
system.
After the mid-life refits, the ship has been fitted with a transom flap, which increases
the top speed and reduces fuel consumption by 13 per cent.
The Royal Navy officially cites that the top speed of the Type 23-class is 28 knots.
But, it is known that HMS Lancaster reached 32 knots even before her mid-life refit.
The bow-mounted sonar has a very large dome, which increases the overall draft of the frigate.
So, to prevent the anchor not fouling the dome, the ship must go astern while anchoring.
The Type 23-class is the first western surface combatant equipped with a vertical launching
system, which gives the ship 360-degree air defence coverage without the necessity of
turning the launchers towards the threats.
The previous Sea Wolf and the current Sea Ceptor air-defence missiles of the frigate
are highly effective sea-skimming anti-ship missiles.
So, the Type 23-class is not fitted with a barreled close-in weapon system.
Chile and the United Kingdom are users of the Type 23-class.
Chile bought HMS Norfolk and HMS Marlborough in 2005 and HMS Grafton in 2007 and renamed
them CS Almirante Cochrane, CS Almirante Condell, and CS Almirante Lynch, respectively.
The Type-23 class frigate has a 174-person crew.
Its standard displacement is 3,500 tons, while its fully-loaded displacement is 4,200 tons.
The ship has a length of 133 metres, a beam of 16.1 metres, and a draught of 7.3 metres.
The combined diesel-electric and gas propulsion system consists of four 2,210 shaft horsepower
MTU 12V4000 M53 diesel generators, two 3,996 horsepower GEC electric motors, and two 15,550
horsepower Rolls-Royce Marine Spey SM1C gas turbines.
Its top speed is 28 knots.
The Type 23-class has a range of 7,800 nautical miles, in other words, 14,445 kilometres.
After the mid-life refit, the Type 23-class frigates of the Royal Navy have been fitted
with the Type 997 Artisan 3D radar, which can detect objects as small as a tennis ball
travelling at the speed of Mach 3 more than 25 kilometres range.
It can monitor more than 900 objects simultaneously.
The Type 997 Artisan is approximately five times more efficient than the previous Type
996 Mod 1 radar of the Type 23s.
The frigate has the active radar-guided RGM-84 Harpoon missile with a 222-kilogram semi-armour-piercing
warhead and 124 kilometres range.
Its maximum speed is Mach 0.86.
But, the Royal Navy will retire the Harpoons in 2023.
The Brits and Frenchs are jointly working on the new Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon,
or FC/ASW missile with Mach 5 speed and 300 kilometres range.
But, this missile is not ready yet.
So, Royal Navy is considering the acquisition of the NSM as an interim solution.
The Sea Ceptor air defence missile, which replaced the Sea Wolf, is designed to defend
the ships against saturation attacks of the supersonic anti-ship missiles.
It has an effective range between less than 1 kilometre and greater than 25 kilometres.
The speed of the Sea Ceptor is Mach 3.
The initial 114mm Mk 8 Mod 0 guns of the Type 23s have been upgraded to the Mod 1 level,
which contains an all-electric loading system and a smaller radar cross-section.
It has a rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute and a range of 27.5 kilometres.
The 30mm remotely-controlled DS30M Mark 2s have replaced the previous locally-operated
DS30B guns.
Its rate of fire is 100 to 200 rounds per minute, and the effective range of the 30mm
gun is 5.1 kilometres.
In early 2019, HMS Sutherland served as a testbed for an integrated mount for the Martlet
LMM and 30mm cannon.
The Type 23-class frigates also have two 324mm twin torpedo tubes, two 7.62mm Gatling guns,
and four 7.62mm machine guns.
The Type 23-class frigates have served in all corners of the world.
In 1994, HMS Norfolk became the first British warship to visit South Africa in over 20 years.
Three years later, HMS Richmond anchored in the Russian port of Vladivostok, where she
became the first Royal Navy vessel to visit in over 100 years.
HMS Norfolk, HMS Montrose, HMS Northumberland, HMS Richmond, and HMS Sutherland patrolled
around the Falklands Islands.
During the 2000 British military intervention in the Sierra Leone civil war, HMS Norfolk,
HMS Argyll, and HMS Iron Duke were there.
HMS Norfolk, HMS Argyll, HMS Lancaster, HMS Iron Duke, HMS Westminster, HMS Northumberland,
HMS Richmond, and HMS Portland served well around the Carabiens, especially in counter-narcotics
operations.
Also, many Royal Navy Type 23-class frigates joined in counter-narcotics operations in
the Persian Gulf.
Yet, these warships were not there only for war against drug smugglers in the region.
During the 2003 Iraq War, HMS Marlborough and HMS Richmond provided naval gunfire support
to the Royal Marines who fought in Al Faw.
After USS Cole was attacked, HMS Marlborough was the first naval ship on the scene to assist
her.
HMS Monmouth, HMS Montrose, and HMS Northumberland protected the merchant ships against pirates
off Somalian coasts.
During the 2011 military intervention in Libya, HMS Iron Duke destroyed a gun battery outside
Misrata, and she fired illuminating rounds to light up targets for NATO combat aircraft.
Also, HMS Westminster and HMS Sutherland joined the naval blockade against Libya.
The Type 23-class frigates intensively tailed Russian warships.
HMS Sutherland escorted the Russian frigate RFNS Admiral Grigorovich through the English
Channel in 2016.
In the same year, HMS Richmond, alongside with Daring-class destroyer HMS Duncan, tailed
a fleet of Russian Navy vessels, including the aircraft carrier RFNS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo
Soyuza Kuznetsov passing through the English Channel on their way to Syria.
In 2017, HMS Sutherland escorted the Russian corvettes, RFNS Soobrazitelnyy and RFNS Boikiy,
in the region this time.
HMS Somerset monitored the Kilo-class submarine RFNS Krasnodar as it transited the English
Channel.
Again in 2017, HMS St Albans escorted the Russian aircraft carrier RFNS Admiral Flota
Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov along the English Channel.
Also, in 2006, HMS Somerset intercepted the Russian destroyer RFNS Vice-Admiral Kulakov,
a tanker and a tug entered the United Kingdom's exclusive economic zone.
One year later, HMS St Albans escorted the Russian frigate RFNS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo
Soyuza Gorshkov, which was conducting sea trials in the North Sea close to UK waters.
HMS Marlborough, HMS Argyll, HMS Monmouth, HMS Richmond, and HMS Grafton lost their Sea
Lynxes in different accidents.
But, in 2015, HMS Lancaster became the first ship in the Royal Navy to deploy with the
new Wildcat HMA2 helicopter.
In 2012, HMS Portland became the first major warship in the Royal Navy to be commanded
by a woman.
So far, the only decommissioned Type 23-class frigate is HMS Monmouth.
According to the official statement, the second ship, HMS Argyll, will retire in 2023.
The retirement of Type 23-class ships may be delayed due to delays in Type 26 and Type
31 programmes and escalating tensions with Russia.
It is too difficult to predict what decision the British politicians will make.
They have repeatedly proven that they can sacrifice the combat power of the Royal Navy
for economic reasons.
Whatever the outcome is, the Type 23-class frigates have served the Crown well until
now.
And they will continue to do their job for a while.
Undoubtedly, the Type 23-class has already become a legend in Royal Navy history.
Thanks for watching our video.
And please don't forget to subscribe to our channel and click the bell button to be notified
of our new videos.
Also, you can now click the join button to support our channel.
And as always, we would greatly appreciate all of your likes, comments, and shares.