Amazon-class Frigates
Ships of the Royal Navy
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Overview |
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The Type 21 frigate, or Amazon-class frigate, was a British Royal Navy general-purpose escort that was designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s. The Type 21 frigates were intended as a class of general purpose frigates to replace the diesel-powered frigates of the Leopard and Salisbury classes, and to maintain the Royal Navy's frigate numbers until the specialist anti-submarine ships of the Type 22 class could enter service. They were also the first design to enter service with the Royal Navy to be solely powered by gas-turbine engines, with two Rolls-Royce Tynes for cruising and two Rolls-Royce Olympus for high speeds arranged in a combined gas or gas (COGOG) arrangement. The design made use of large amounts of aluminium alloy in the superstructure to reduce the topweight. Worries later surfaced about its resilience to fire, particularly following a major fire on Amazon in 1977 during which aluminium ladders distorted, preventing fire-fighting teams from reaching the blaze, and its ability to withstand blast damage. Later warships reverted to using steel. A hangar and flight deck were provided for a single helicopter, at first the Westland Wasp.
Except for HMS Amazon, all the class took part in the 1982 Falklands War. They were heavily involved, performing extensive shore-bombardment missions and providing anti-submarine and anti-aircraft duties for the task force. HMS Alacrity engaged and sank an Argentine naval supply vessel in the Falkland Sound. Two ships were lost: HMS Ardent was hit by bombs dropped by Argentine aircraft on 21 May 1982 and consumed by fire; HMS Antelope was hit by bombs on 23 May 1982, one of which was set off by the bomb disposal team attempting to defuse it, causing the ship to catch fire and setting off her magazines, resulting in her breaking her back and sinking. |
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Aviation facilities: |
Aircraft carried |
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HMS Amazon F169 |
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Builder |
Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston |
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Laid down |
6. November 1969 |
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Launched |
26. April 1971 |
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Commissioned |
11. May 1974 |
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| Decommissioned |
30. September 1993 |
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| Identification | Pennant F169 |
Deckcode AZ |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS Jun. 1975 - May 1978 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702 NAS, 208 Flight Oct. 1978 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS, 208 Flight Jan 1981 - May. 1983 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS, 219 Flight Oct. 1984 - Mar. 1991 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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815 NAS, 223 Flight Mar. 1991 - Jul. 1993 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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HMS Antelope F170 |
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Builder |
Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston | |
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Laid down |
23. March 1971 |
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Launched |
16. March 1972 |
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Commissioned |
16. July 1975 |
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| Decommissioned |
23. May 1982 (sunk) |
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| Identification | Pennant F170 |
Deckcode AO |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS Nov. 1975 - Apr. 1979 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702
NAS, 216 Flight Oct. 1979 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815
NAS, 216 Flight Jan. 1981 - May 1982 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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HMS Active F171 |
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Builder |
Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston | |
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Laid down |
21. July 1971 |
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Launched |
23. November 1972 |
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Commissioned |
17. June 1977 |
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| Decommissioned |
23. September 1994 |
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| Identification | Pennant F171 |
Deckcode AV |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS, 035 Flight Sep. 1977 - Mar. 1995 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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815 NAS, 205 Flight Nov. 1986 - Aug. 1994 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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HMS Ambuscade F172 |
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Builder |
Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun |
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Laid down |
1. September 1971 |
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Launched |
18. January 1973 |
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Commissioned |
5. September 1975 |
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| Decommissioned |
28. July 1993 |
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| Identification | Pennant F172 |
Deckcode AB |
| Helicopter |
829 NAS Oct. 1975 - Mar. 1980 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702 NAS, 219 Flight Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS, 219 Flight Jan. 1981 - Sep. 1984 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS, 200 Flight Jul. 1985 - Aug. 1991 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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815 NAS, 242 Flight Sep. 1991 - Mai. 1993 |
Lynx HAS.3CTS | |
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HMS Arrow F173 |
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Builder |
Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun | |
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Laid down |
28. September 1972 | |
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Launched |
5. February 1974 | |
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Commissioned |
28. July 1976 | |
| Decommissioned | 1. March 1994 | |
| Identification | Pennant F173 |
Deckcode AW |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS May 1976 - Oct. 1978 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702
NAS, 204 Flight Aug. 1978 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815
NAS, 204 Flight Jan. 1981 - Jan, 1988 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815
NAS, 231 Flight Jul. 1989 - Dec. 1993 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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HMS Alacrity F174 |
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Builder |
Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun | |
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Laid down |
28. September 1972 | |
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Launched |
5. February 1974 | |
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Commissioned |
2. July 1977 | |
| Decommissioned | 1. March 1994 | |
| Identification | Pennant F174 |
Deckcode AL |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS Jul. 1977 - Jun. 1978 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702
NAS, 206 Flight Aug. 1978 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815
NAS, 206 Flight Jan. 1981 - Apr. 1986 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815
NAS, 233 Flight Mar. 1987 - Jan. 1994 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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HMS Ardent F184 |
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Builder |
Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun | |
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Laid down |
26. February 1974 | |
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Launched |
9. May 1975 | |
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Commissioned |
13. October 1977 | |
| Decommissioned | 22. May 1982 Sunk by Argentine aircraft | |
| Identification | Pennant F184 |
Deckcode AD |
| Helicopter |
829
NAS Aug. 1977 - Apr. 1979 |
Wasp HAS.1 |
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702 NAS, 207 Flight Aug. 1978 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS, 207 Flight Jan. 1981 - May 1982 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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HMS Avenger F185 |
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Builder |
Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun | |
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Laid down |
30. October 1974 | |
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Launched |
20. November 1975 | |
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Commissioned |
15. April 1978 | |
| Decommissioned | 23. September 1994 | |
| Identification | Pennant |
Deckcode AG |
| Helicopter |
702 NAS 205 Flight May 1978 - Dec. 1980 |
Lynx HAS.2 |
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815 NAS 205 Flight Jan. 1981 - Mar. 1982 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS 240 Flight Apr. 1982 - Sep. 1982 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS 205 Flight Sep. 1982 - Oct. 1986 |
Lynx HAS.2 | |
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815 NAS 204 Flight Jan. 1988 - Apr. 1994 |
Lynx HAS.3 | |
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History |
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- Has anyone more Informations about this Ship's - |