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, 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.

Design

Intended role

"The type 23 class frigate was conceived in the late 1970s as a light anti-submarine frigate whose primary role was to meet the then Soviet nuclear submarine threat in the North Atlantic. This new class was intended to replace the Leander class frigate, which was developed in the 1950s and the type 21 class frigate, developed in the 1960s, as the backbone of the Royal Navy's surface ship anti-submarine force. The type 23 class frigate was not procured as a replacement for the type 22 frigate." Though with the reductions in the size of the Navy as a result of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review the last of the Type 23s, the St Albans did replace a Type 22, the Coventry.

The ships were to carry a towed array sonar to detect Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic and carry a Westland Lynx or EHI Merlin helicopter to attack them. It was initially proposed that the frigates would not mount defensive armament. Instead the Sea Wolf missile system was to be carried by the Fort Victoria class replenishment oiler, one of which was to support typically four Type 23s. The Forts would also provide servicing facilities for the force's helicopters; the Type 23 would have facilities only for rearming and refuelling them.

Evolution

As a result of lessons learned from the Falklands War, the design grew in size and complexity to encompass the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf (VLS) system with an extra tracking system as a defence against low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missiles such as Exocet. With the addition of Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and a medium calibre gun for naval gunfire support, the Type 23 had evolved into a more complex and balanced warship which introduced a host of new technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross section reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a CODLAG (Combined Diesel-electric and Gas) propulsion system providing very quiet running for anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch missile technology and a fully-distributed combat management system.

The Vertical Launch Sea Wolf surface-to-air missile system was designed for and first deployed on the Type 23. Unlike conventional Sea Wolf, the missile is boosted vertically until it clears the ship's super-structure and then turns to fly directly to the target. Consequently, the ship's structure does not cause no-fire zones that would delay or inhibit missile firing in a conventionally launched system.
HMS Norfolk was the first of the class to enter service, commissioned into the Fleet on June 1, 1990 at a cost of £135.449 million GBP, later vessels cost £60-96 million GBP.
On July 21, 2004, in the Delivering Security in a Changing World review of defence spending, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced that HMS Norfolk, Marlborough and Grafton were to be paid off. In 2005 it was announced that these three vessels would be sold to the Chilean Navy, to be delivered in 2008. In September 2005 BAE Systems was awarded a £134 million GBP contract to prepare the frigates for transfer. The Norfolk was handed over by the Defence Logistics Organisation and BAE Systems and commissioned into the Chilean Navy on the 22 November 2006, and named Almirante Cochrane (FF-05) (after Lord Cochrane, a naval hero to both the British and Chileans). The Grafton was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 March 2007 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Lynch (FF-07). The Marlborough was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 May 2008 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Condell (FF-06).

Specifications

Weapon Systems

* 2 x quadruple Harpoon missile launchers

* 32 x Vertical Launch Sea Wolf Surface-to-air missiles (VLS GWS 26 Mod 1 Block 2 system)

* 1 x 114 mm (4.5 in) Vickers Mark 8 gun (all ships being upgraded to Mod 1 standard)

* 2 x Oerlikon 30 mm L/75 KCB guns on single Laurence Scott DS-30B mounts. Being upgraded to remote control with electro-optic director

* 4 x Cray Marine 324 mm (2 twin) fixed torpedo tubes, Marconi Sting Ray

* NATO Seagnat, Type 182 and DLF3 countermeasures launchers

Aircraft:

*Westland Lynx HM.8 or AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1 helicopter and Cougar AS532 Chilean Navy

*Armament:

** Sea Skua missiles (Lynx only)

** Sting Ray torpedoes

** depth charges

** AM-39 Exocet (Chilean Navy Cougars)

Electronic Systems

* Search: BAE Systems Radar Type 996 Mod 1, 3D surveillance

* Navigation: Kelvin Hughes Radar Type 1007 and Racal Decca Type 1008

* Fire control:

** 2 x GEC Marconi Type 911 Sea Wolf systems

** Sperry Sea Archer 30 optronic surveillance / director

* Bow sonar: Thales Underwater Systems Type 2050

* Towed sonar: Ultra Electronics Type 2031Z, being replaced by Type 2087 in eight ships

* Combat Management System: BAE Systems Command System DNA(1)

Note: Type 23's Search Radar will be replaced by BAE Systems Insyte Artisan 3D Radar. The radar also equips Albion Class & HMS Ocean Assault Ships, and will be on the two future Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The project was worth £100 Million and the contract announced in 4 August, 2008.

Command system

The first few Type 23 frigates entered service without a computerised command system, so the Secretary of State for Defence was asked "what ability those type 23 frigates not fitted with an automated command and control system will possess to identify aircraft as either friendly or hostile." The reply given was that: "The classification of an aircraft as friendly or hostile is based on information from a variety of sources including the ships identification friend or foe (IFF) system and other sensors. In T23 frigates not fitted with a command system this information will be available but will not be correlated automatically." Questions to Secretary of State for Defence, 2 November 1989.

Crew size

"When first commissioned the complement of crew carried by Type 23 frigates was 173. The current [February 1998] complement is 171." "There are no plans to reduce the complement of Type 23 frigates by refitting with less manpower-intensive equipment. Manning implications are taken into consideration when the Operational Requirement for future ships is considered; however, the size of the complement is affected by other considerations such as the manpower needed for damage control and fire-fighting." Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the manning and availability of warships, 10 February 1998.

Helicopters

The table below shows how many helicopters were carried by each of the Type 23 frigates, broken down by type of helicopter, as claimed by the Navy in January 2006. Question to the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are carried by each of the Type 23 frigates, broken down by type of helicopter, 10 January 2006.

Sonar 2087

Five Type 23 frigates, HM Ships Montrose, Monmouth, Iron Duke, Lancaster and Argyll are not scheduled to receive Sonar 2087. These ships will be employed across the normal range of standing strategic, home and overseas commitments. These include Fleet Ready Escort duties around home waters, operational deployments to the Gulf and Arabian Sea, and standing tasks in the South Atlantic (APT(S)), Caribbean (APT(N)) and within NATO's Standing Maritime Group in the Mediterranean (SNMG2). They will also continue to contribute to the UK's Maritime Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) held at high readiness for contingent operations, and deploy on pre-planned activities as JRRF elements within a Task Group."

Construction programme

Before the Falklands "the average cost of the type 23 frigate, as then envisaged, was estimated at £75 million at September 1980 prices. This is equivalent to £103 million at 1984–85 prices." Questions to he Secretary of State for Defence about Type 23 frigates, 11 January 1985. "A number of improvements in ship design have recently taken place, some resulting from lessons learnt in the Falklands conflict and others which were already in train. We are reducing the amount of flammable material in warships and trying to improve fire-resistant cabling. We are also replacing foam mattresses with sprung mattresses to reduce the risk of fire. Some redesigning is taking place with the introduction of better watertight doors and hatches, and further steps are being taken on damage control, with special reference to the spreading of fire and smoke. Comments have been made about the unsuitability of aluminium in a ship's structure because it loses strength in fire. It is used only in type 21 frigates and is not being used in warships today." By January 1985, "the average cost of the type 23 frigate is currently estimated at £110 million at 1984–85 prices. This includes the cost of design changes judged necessary as a result of lessons learned from the Falklands campaign."
By 2001, the Ministry of Defence said: "The cost of HMS Norfolk, the first of the type 23 class frigates, was £135.449 million. The following 16 vessels have cost, or are estimated to cost where final payments are not yet due, between £60 million and £96 million depending on when the vessel was ordered and the scope of shipbuilder supplied equipment."
The Ministry of Defence said in 1998 that the Merlin ASW helicopter was costing them £97,000,000 each (this was for an order for 44 airframes), and that this was 57% of the cost of Type 23. Warship World, Spring 1998, pub Maritime Books, page 13. This figure of £97 million each included research and development costs. From this it can be calculated that the cost of Type 23 was £ 170,100,000 each.

The costs in the table below are in two columns:

• Original hull cost. "Other costs, such as those for Government furnished equipment, are not held centrally for each ship and could be provided only at disproportionate cost."

• Estimated building cost. This is a phrase used in Defence Estimates, and before that in Navy Estimates. It does not include the armament, or government furnished equipment.

In placing construction contracts for Type 23, the Government's policy was "to place orders for warships following competition, the aim being to secure best value for money for the defence budget. Tender prices and compliance with contract conditions will be the major considerations in the current competition for type 23 frigates. However, as the MOD confirmed in its response to the 31 report from the Committee of Public Accounts (Session 1987–88), its strategy is to maintain sufficient warship-building capacity to meet likely future defence requirements and a competitive base and these twin objectives are always taken into account in the placing of individual ship and submarine orders."

Running costs

Known refits

• HMS Iron Duke was due to start refit at Rosyth Royal Dockyard in spring 2001.

• "HMS Montrose's refit at Rosyth is planned for completion in February 2004 and following associated sea trials, she is expected to be ready for operational deployment later that month. The final refit cost will be agreed once all work is completed, but is expected to be just under £23 million. This exceeds the original budget as it now reflects possible changes in labour rates and takes into account additional work identified after the budget had been set."

Refits completed since 1997

Contracts placed under the SSS Programme

Availability

In February 1998, it was stated that: "Type 23 frigates achieved approximately 85-89 per cent average availability for operational service in each of the last five years with the exception of 1996 when the figure dropped to just over 80 per cent due to a number of ships experiencing a particular defect. This discounts time spent in planned maintenance."

Disposal

The Marlborough, Norfolk and Grafton were sold to Chile for a total of £134 million. The letter of intent for purchase was signed in December 2004, followed by a formal contract on 7 September 2005.Saunders, Stephen Jane's Fighting Ships 2008-2009, pub Jane's Information Group, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7106-2845-9 page 111.
The Royal Navy’s current Type 22 and Type 23 frigates will be replaced by the Future Surface Combatant but the programme has not yet reached the main investment decision stage. However, on current plans, we expect the first vessel to enter service around the end of the next decade.

Type 23 frigates in fiction

• HMS Westminster was used for the Type 23 interior shots in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford. For the exterior shots a Type 23 model was constructed.

• The ITV series Making Waves was set aboard the Type 23 frigate HMS Suffolk (which was portrayed by HMS Grafton).

• HMS Montrose and HMS Monmouth were used to portray the interior and exterior shots of the fictional HMS Monarch for the film Command Approved which is the centre piece of Action Stations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth, England.

Footnotes