HMS Argyll (F231)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Argyll.
HMS Argyll, 2009
History
UK
Name: HMS Argyll
Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: September 1986
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down: 20 March 1987
Launched: 8 April 1989
Commissioned: 31 May 1991
Homeport: HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Identification:
Motto:
  • Ne Obliviscaris
  • "Lest We Forget"
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Type 23 Frigate
Displacement: 4,900 t (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons)[2]
Length: 133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam: 16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught: 7.3 m (23 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:
Speed: In excess of 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range: 7,500 nautical miles (14,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement: 185 (accommodation for up to 205)
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
Aircraft carried:
Aviation facilities:

The third and current HMS Argyll is a Type 23 'Duke' Class frigate. She is currently the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. Like all of her class she is named for a British dukedom, in this case that of Argyll. Argyll will be the first Type 23 to be fitted with the new Sea Ceptor missile system.[3]

Ships history

HMS Argyll was laid down in March 1987 by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Glasgow, and launched in 1989 by Lady Wendy Levene, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors.[4] It was commissioned in May 1991. Argyll is currently based at Devonport Dockyard. It is planned that she will retire in 2023.[5]

In March 2014, she accidentally fired a test (unarmed) torpedo whilst training at Devonport,[6] there were no injuries and minimal damage.

Deployments

In 2000, Argyll was part of the Royal Navy task force - Task Group 342.01 - — comprising Illustrious, Ocean, Iron Duke, Chatham, and four RFA ships — that deployed to Sierra Leone as part of the British military intervention in the Sierra Leone civil war. During those operations, Argyll acted as the West African Guardship and remained off West Africa until September 2000. During her deployment, Argyll saved fifty-eight lives from drowning. She was relieved by her sister-ship Iron Duke in September.[7] During this incident Argyll, assisted by HMS Ocean, laid the foundation for the Iron Duke Community School. This is a school for orphans in Freetown. President Kabbah of Sierra Leone decreed the school be named after the crew of Iron Duke for completing the construction of the six classrooms.[8]

2001 saw a change in command with Commander John Kingwell succeeding Commander Rick Wellesley.[9] In 2001, while in the Bay of Biscay, Argyll suffered an electrical fire that was quickly put out by the ship's damage control team, with the ship suffering only minimal damage.[10]

Argyll completed a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf protecting two oil platforms, working with the American, Australian and Iraqi Navies from February to August 2005.[11] The ship made a short visit to Boulogne, then to its home port of Inveraray and finally to Liverpool,[12] before undergoing Operational Sea Trials. Argyll successfully completed Operational Sea Training and acted as a contingency platform whilst H.M. Elizabeth II spent a week sailing on the Hebridean Princess in July 2006.

In September 2006 Argyll was deployed along with other ships such as Ocean and Albion where she completed two drugs raids on merchant ships totalling £50 million. They |completed their operation in November of the same year.

HMS Argyll was in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons on 14 September 2007 when it was claimed that 41-year-old commanding officer Captain Nigel Chandler was replaced when the ship failed twice to pass the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) exercises. These exercises are taken every 18 months to ensure the ship and crew are ready for deployment.[13] In October 2007 Argyll returned to the Persian Gulf to take over from her sister-ship, Richmond.[14]

Thursday 3 April 2008 saw more than 500 friends and relatives welcome HMS Argyll as she returned to her home at Devonport after a deployment lasting 6 months in the Northern Persian Gulf. This was Argyll's second Gulf deployment to Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in three years. This deployment included one patrol which lasted 52 days from January to March 2008. HMS Argyll was also at the 'Meet Your Navy' exhibition at HMNB Portsmouth 2008.[15][16]

6 May 2008 saw the crew return to Argyll, with the crew bidding their commanding officer of 7 months, Commander Gavin Pritchard, a fond farewell. Pritchard was succeeded by Commander Peter Olive. Argyll was then to engage in a period of trials and training before entering a period of maintenance in June.[17]

11 May 2008 saw the Trans-Atlantic solo yacht race in Plymouth Sound started by the ceremonial cannon aboard Argyll. Dame Ellen MacArthur also attended the start of the race and Rear Admiral Richard Ibbotson, head of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation, was also on board Argyll.[18][19]

On 21 July 2008 Argyll led the parade of tall ships out of Liverpool ahead of the Tall Ships Race starting 23 July.

On 18 February 2009, Argyll sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson, She is joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock Bulwark, as Hudson's flagship, Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) Ocean, Type 23 Frigate Somerset and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[20] Argyll returned to Devonport on 17 April from this deployment.[21]

In early October 2010, Argyll and her crew arrived in Plymouth last week after an 11-month refit which included 290,000-man-hours spent on modifications, upgrades and improvements."[22] She has received a new command system, upgrades to Sea Wolf, the Mod1 4.5-inch (114mm) gun, and mounts for new small calibre guns.[22] She was also given new boat-launching equipment.[22] "The refit included the replacing of two of the vessel's four diesel generators and one of her gas turbine engines."[22] Her ventilation system has been improved.[22] "Along with fresh paint on the upper decks she has been coated below the waterline with a special paint to prevent the build-up of sea life which would slow the ship. This also makes her more fuel-efficient."[22] "HMS Argyll is the first Type 23 frigate to undergo a second major refit."[22] As of March 2011, Argyll was in post refit sea training. Commander Paul Stroude has been the commanding officer of Argyll since May 2010.

On Sunday 22 January 2012 it was announced that Argyll was part of a six-ship convoy which sailed through the Strait of Hormuz alongside French and United States Navy vessels, during a diplomatic dispute with Iran.[23] In a period after this she engaged in Exercise ‘Goalkeeper’ whilst still in the Middle East.[24]

On 30 June 2012, Armed Forces Day, she fired the salute in Plymouth as part of a steampast alongside RFA Mounts Bay, the Earl of Wessex was in attendance alongside the First Sea Lord.[25][26]

In 2013, she is off on a seven-month deployment to the Atlantic, having visited South Africa.[27] She also engaged in counter-narcotics work in the Eastern Pacific by travelling around Cape Horn and is headed back to her home port via the Panama Canal.[28][29]

On 30 June 2014, she arrived in Hamilton, Bermuda for a three-day visit as part of her deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean.[30]

She arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on September 11, 2014 to participate in ceremonies commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.[31]

On Thursday 25 September 2014, she arrived in Veracruz.[32]

On 6 October 2014, HMS Argyll visited George Town, Grand Cayman, after having been on counter-narcotics deployment in August 2014.[33]

On 18 October 2014, she arrived in Bermuda to provide assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo.[34]

In 2014, a British Navy Lynx from Argyll identified a suspicious yacht in the Caribbean Sea, and the US Coast Guard from Argyll seized $16 million worth of cocaine from the yacht. The group had seized an even larger catch earlier on the same deployment.[35]

Related images

Affiliations

School Crest of the Dollar Academy, affiliate of HMS Argyll.

References

  1. ↑ "Royal Navy Bridge Card, February 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. ↑ Royal Navy Frigates: Type 23 Frigate, royalnavy.mod.uk
  3. ↑ http://www.adsadvance.co.uk/hms-argyll-upkeep-marks-start-of-type-23-life-extension.html
  4. ↑ "HMS Argyll - The Company's Adopted Frigate". Worshipful Company of Paviors.
  5. ↑ "Daily Hansard - Written Answers to Questions". UK Parliament. 6 September 2012.
  6. ↑ HMS Argyll navy torpedo fired into Devonport wharf, 14 March 2014
  7. ↑ "Summer 2000: Duties In Sierra Leone.". The Worshipful Company of Paviors. 28 November 2000.
  8. ↑ "Iron Duke completes 33,000-mile voyage.". Navy news newspaper. 26 February 2001.
  9. ↑ "March 2001: New Captain in Command.". The Worshipful Company of Paviors. 31 March 2001.
  10. ↑ "Fire on board HMS Argyll.". Navy news newspaper. 3 April 2001.
  11. ↑ "August 2005: In Home Waters.". The Worshipful Company of Paviors. 24 August 2005.
  12. ↑ "HMS Argyll Arrives on Merseyside". Irish Sea Shipping. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  13. ↑ "Navy sacks Captain Calamity.". News Group Newspapers Ltd. 14 September 2007.
  14. ↑ http://www.gogibraltarsite.com/MediterraneanNavalNews.html
  15. ↑ "Warm Welcome for HMS Argyll’s Return to Devonport.". Royal Navy. 31 March 2008.
  16. ↑ "Hundreds Cheer HMS Argyll Home To the UK.". Royal Navy. 3 April 2008.
  17. ↑ "HMS Argyll Returns to Work.". Royal Navy. 3 April 2008.
  18. ↑ "HMS Argyll Starts Trans-Atlantic Yacht Race.". Royal Navy. 9 May 2008.
  19. ↑ "HMS Argyll Launches Trans-Atlantic Yacht Race.". Royal Navy. 12 May 2008.
  20. ↑ Royal Navy Website, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.7202
  21. ↑ Royal Navy Website, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-events/rn-live/all-news/argyll-returns-to-devonport/*/changeNav/6568
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "HMS Argyll arrives home following major refit". Ministry of Defence. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  23. ↑ "Iran escalation 'could see UK forces sent to Gulf". BBC News. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  24. ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/7093859179/in/photostream
  25. ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/7474119966/in/photostream
  26. ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/7474120256/in/photostream
  27. ↑ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/Ships/Frigates/HMS-Argyll/Diary/130530-Argyll-Visits-South-Africa
  28. ↑ https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/8615
  29. ↑ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Latest-News/2013/September/11/130911-HMS-Argyll-Due-home
  30. ↑ http://bermudasun.bm/Content/NEWS/News/Article/HMS-Argyll-returns-to-Bermuda/24/270/78786
  31. ↑ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2014/september/11/140911-hms-argyll-in-baltimore
  32. ↑ El Mercurio de Veracruz
  33. ↑ "Navy warship visits Cayman.". Cayman Compass. 7 October 2014.
  34. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-29679079
  35. ↑ Drwiega, Andrew. "USCG Employs Lynx Helicopter to Catch Cocaine Carriers" Aviation Today, 29 October 2014. Accessed: 29 October 2014.
  36. ↑ Affiliations : HMS Argyll : Type 23 Frigates : Surface Fleet : Operations and Support : Royal Navy

External links

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