HMS Lancaster in the Caribbean Sea during 2013
History
United Kingdom
NameLancaster
OrderedSeptember 1986
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down18 December 1987
Launched24 May 1990
Sponsored byQueen Elizabeth II
Commissioned1 May 1992
RefitMajor 2010–2012, LIFEX 2017–2019
HomeportHMNB Portsmouth (forward deployed to HMS Jufair)
Nickname(s)
  • The Queen's Frigate,
  • The Red Rose Frigate
StatusIn active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeType 23 frigate
Displacement4,900 t (4,800 long tons)[1]
Length133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
SpeedIn excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement185 (accommodation for up to 205)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried
  • 1 × Wildcat HMA2, armed with:
    • 4 × Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (projected full operating capability from 2026),[8] or
    • 2 × Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes, or
    • 20 × Martlet multirole air-surface missiles (from 2021)
    • Mk 11 depth charges
  • or
  • 1 × Westland Merlin HM2, armed with;
  • 4 × anti submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities

HMS Lancaster is a Duke-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, launched by Queen Elizabeth II[9] on 24 May 1990.[10] The ship is known as "The Queen's Frigate",[11] 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.[12][13] She is one of the few ships left in the fleet with some female officers but mess decks which are men-only.[14] 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.

The ship, like her sisters HMS Monmouth, HMS Montrose, HMS Iron Duke and HMS Argyll, did not receive the new Sonar 2087 upgrade that other frigates of the class subsequently received. Therefore she is regarded as a "general purpose" frigate without the more specialized anti-submarine capability of the other eight ships in the Type 23 fleet.[15]

Operational history

1992–2000

In 1994, Lancaster deployed on a nine-month mission to the Caribbean Sea, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, During this time she acted as guardship for the royal yacht HMY Britannia, conducted anti-drug smuggling operations and sonar trials. She also acted as guardship for Queen Elizabeth II during the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, in August 1994.

2001–2010

Lancaster returning from a deployment in the Persian Gulf

From Feb to July 2001 Lancaster deployed to the Gulf to patrol the Iraq no-fly zone.

Lancaster was involved in anti-drug operations in the Caribbean, but also delivered Vice Admiral Adrian Johns in 2009 to his new post as Governor of Gibraltar. In February 2010 Lancaster was deployed in waters off the Horn of Africa as part of Combined Task Force 150, tackling piracy, drug-running, people trafficking, arms smuggling, and other criminal and terrorist threats.[16][17]

In September 2010 Lancaster entered refit in Portsmouth.

2011–2017

Lancaster returned to sea in early 2012 and returned to active service in Spring 2013.[14] The £17.9m contract covered upgrades to communications, the Sea Wolf and command systems,[18] the installation of a 30 mm remote-operated gun[18] and a transom flap.[19] Both shafts were replaced, four refurbished diesel generators installed and new paint applied to the hull.[19] The accommodation, galley and dining halls were all refurbished at the same time.[11] Half the crew returned to the ship in October 2011, under the command of Lt Cdr Charlie Guy until Cdr Steve Moorhouse took over in November 2011.[14] Although the top speed of the Duke class is commonly quoted as 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph), the caption of an official Navy photo suggests that Lancaster was capable of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) even before her mid-life refit;[20] the transom flap can add up to 1 knot (1.9 km/h; 1.2 mph) to the top speed of a Type 23,[21] and the Intersleek anti-fouling paint added 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) to the top speed of Ark Royal.[22]

In July to August 2013, she was on a counter-narcotics mission in the Caribbean, seizing a 680-kilogram (1,500 lb) haul of cocaine with an estimated street value of £100 million after sailors and an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment boarded a speedboat near Puerto Rico.[23][24]

On 23 March 2015, Lancaster became the first ship in the Royal Navy to deploy with the navy's new uniform and Wildcat helicopter.[25]

The crew of the Lancaster gathered on the deck of the vessel to spell the word sister, as a present from the Royal Navy, on the birth of Princess Charlotte on 2 May 2015.[26]

Between 12 and 16 October 2015 Lancaster and RFA Gold Rover participated in the bicentennial anniversary commemorations of Napoleon's arrival on Saint Helena after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, and subsequent surrender to British forces.[27]

In 2015, the ship visited Algiers for three days for official receptions and a short spell of training with ships in the Algerian Navy, including the Algerian amphibious transport dock Kalaat Béni Abbès. She arrived back in the UK on 17 December 2015.[28]

Upon her return to the UK, Lancaster entered a period of "extended readiness" in Portsmouth awaiting refit in 2017.[29] Lancaster departed Portsmouth on 31 March 2017 under tow for Plymouth.

2018–present

Lancaster underwent a life extension refit (LIFEX) at HMNB Devonport from 2017 to 2019 which included fitting of the Artisan 3D radar, Sea Ceptor anti-air missiles and strengthening the backbone of the ship.[30]

The ship arrived back to its Home Port, HMNB Portsmouth, in December 2019.[31][32] The ship was returned to operations in July 2020.[33]

In August 2022, it was reported that in preparation for her planned deployment to the Persian Gulf to replace HMS Montrose, Lancaster had been fitted with a full complement of eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles.[4] Lancaster sailed for the Gulf on August 15 on a deployment starting with NATO exercises in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Once reaching the Persian Gulf, she was expected to remain forward deployed until 2025 with her crew being rotated every four months.[34] Late in the month, Lancaster was diverted, at least temporarily, to shadow the Russian cruiser Marshal Ustinov and the destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov as they manouvered in the vicinity of the British Isles.[35] Lancaster arrived in the Gulf in November 2022 and a crew swap was performed in December.[36]

In 2022, Lancaster spent 165 days at sea.[37]

Affiliations

References

  1. ↑ "Type 23 Frigate". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Royal Navy unveiled Sea Ceptor and launched first user group at DSEI 2017".
  3. ↑ "Contenders for the Royal Navy's interim anti-ship missile requirement | Navy Lookout". 26 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 @NavyLookout (3 August 2022). "@HMSLANCASTER off the UHAF yesterday after receiving a full outfit of Harpoon missiles ahead of her eventual deployment to the Gulf" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 August 2022 – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ "Lancaster Lays Down the Lead Testing Extra Firepower". Royal Navy. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  6. ↑ HMS Lancaster fires.50 (12.7mm) calibre heavy machine gun. United Kingdom: YouTube. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Royal Navy's Sea Venom light anti-ship missile full operating capability delayed until 2026". Navy Lookout. 21 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "HMS Lancaster marks first Cayman visit". CaymanNetNews.com. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Bellamy, Martin (2022). "Editorial". The Mariner's Mirror. The Society for Nautical Research. 108 (4): 387. doi:10.1080/00253359.2022.2117453. S2CID 253161552.
  11. 1 2 "Lancaster Ship's Company Return 'Home'". Royal Navy. 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  12. ↑ Jane's Fighting Ships 1999-2000
  13. ↑ "Type 23 Frigate: Background". Navy News. Archived from the original on 21 October 2002. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 "Lancaster once again echoes with life". Navy News. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Allison, George (25 March 2019). "What is the purpose of the Towed Array Patrol Ship?". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Naval chiefs gather aboard Lancaster to fight crime". Navy News. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "Maritime conference held onboard HMS Lancaster". Royal Navy.
  18. 1 2 "BAE Systems undertakes refit of Royal Navy's HMS Lancaster". The Engineer. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  19. 1 2 "Lancaster Returns to the Water As Refit Gathers Pace". Royal Navy. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  20. ↑ "Duke-class Type 23 Frigate F229 HMS Lancaster steaming at 32 knots". Ministry of Defence. 12 September 1999. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  21. ↑ "A Forth for good". Navy News. September 2008. p. 6. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  22. ↑ "The Royal Navy's Fleet" (PDF). Royal Navy Matters. Royal Navy. 2010. p. 52. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  23. ↑ "HMS Lancaster begins new tasking". Royal Navy. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  24. ↑ "HMS Lancaster seizes multi-million pound cocaine haul". Royal Navy. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  25. ↑ "HMS Lancaster leaves Portsmouth on deployment of 'firsts'". Royal Navy. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  26. ↑ Rabouin, Dion. "How The World Is Celebrating The New Royal Princess". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "Royal Navy Visit Next Week". St Helena Government. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  28. ↑ "Lancaster heads for home". Navy News. 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  29. ↑ Soames, Nicholas (9 January 2017). "Written question – 59197: HMS Lancaster". Houses of Parliament. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  30. ↑ "HMS Lancaster Gears Up For Return". Royal Navy. 11 July 2019.
  31. ↑ Allison, George (11 August 2019). "Crew moves back on board frigate HMS Lancaster". UK Defence Journal.
  32. ↑ "HMS Lancaster Returns Home After Refit". Royal Navy. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  33. ↑ "Revitalised Frigate Ready for Operations". Royal Navy. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  34. ↑ "HMS Lancaster sails on a three-year mission to maintain security in Gulf". 16 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Military operation underway off south coast as Russian missile cruisers transit through area". TheJournal.ie. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  36. ↑ HMS Lancaster [@HMSLANCASTER] (9 December 2022). "Port Crew 🔴have taken over from Starboard Crew 🟢 on completion of HMS Lancaster's first crew rotation as the @RoyalNavy Forward Deployed T23 Frigate 🚢" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  37. ↑ Allison, George (1 June 2023). "Data reveals number of days warships spent at sea last year". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
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