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Guided missile frigate HMS Lancaster (F229)

Guided missile frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) 0Guided missile frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) 1Guided missile frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) 2

Classification

Ship class:
Duke-class frigate (Type 23)
Type:
Frigate

Basic information

Namesake:
Duke of Lancaster
Operator:
Royal NavyRoyal Navy
Country of build:
Builder:
Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd
Laid down:
Launched:
Commissioned (service):
Decommissioned (out):
Status:
Decommissioned

Ship measurements

Displacement:
4,900 t
Length:
133 m
Beam:
16.1 m
Draft:
7.3 m

Machine

Propulsion system:
CODLAG (CODELAG)
Propulsion:
  • 2 * Rolls-Royce Spey SM1A gas turbines, 34,000 hp (25,000 kW)
  • 4 * Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel engines, (4 * 1510 KW / 2025 shp)
  • 2 * GEC electric motors (1.5 MW, 4,400 hp)
Speed:
28 knots
Range:
7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)

Personnel

Complement:
185

Combat assets

Boats & landing craft:
  • 2 * PAC 24 RIBs
Electronics:
  • UAF-1 ESM, or, UAT Mod 1
  • Seagnat
  • Type 182 towed torpedo decoy
  • Surface Ship Torpedo Defence
Armament:
  • 1 * 32-cell GWS 35 Vertical Launching System (VLS) for:
  • 32 * Sea Ceptor missiles (1–25+ km)
  • Up to 2 * quad Harpoon launchers (8 * missiles)
  • 2 * twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes
  • 1 * BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun
  • 2 * 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, or, 2 * 30 mm DS30B guns
  • 2 * Miniguns
  • 4 * General-purpose machine gun
Aircraft:
  • 1 * Westland Wildcat HMA2, armed with;
  • 2 * anti-submarine torpedoes

HMS Lancaster is a Duke-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 May 1990. The ship is known as «The Queen's Frigate», the Duke of Lancaster being a subsidiary title of the Sovereign. Being the third ship in the Type 23 class, Lancaster was originally allocated the pennant number F232 until it was noted that the 232 is the Royal Navy report form for groundings and collisions and therefore considered unlucky. She is one of the few ships left in the fleet with some female officers but mess decks which are men-only. It is quite common when she has returned from long operations that she is flown over by the Avro Lancaster bomber which is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby.

On December 5, 2025 the Royal Navy announced that HMS Lancaster had arrived into Bahrain for the final time after 34 years of service. She was greeted by a 34-gun salute and the Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines deployed from HMS Collingwood in Fareham.

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