MONTROSE HMS F 236 ROYAL NAVY

[john sefton]

HMS MONTROSE F 236 ROYAL NAVY

Built by Marconi Marine-Yarrow (Shipbuilders), Ltd., Scoutstoun, Glasgow, Scotland

Laid Down: 1-11-89
Launched: 31-7-92
In Service: 2-6-94

One of 16 Duke (Type 23)-class general-purpose frigates.

D: 3,600 tons (4,300 fl) S: 28 kts (F 237-on: 30 kts; all: 15 kts on electric drive)
Dim: 133.00 (123.00 pp) × 16.10 (15.00 wl) × 4.30 (5.50 max. navigational)
A: 8 RGM-84C Harpoon (GWS.60) SSM; Sea Wolf GWS.26 vertical-launch SAM syst. (32 missiles); 1 114-mm 55-cal. Vickers Mk 8 (Mk 8 Mod. 1 in F 230, F 234 and F 235) DP; 2 single 30-mm 75-cal. DES-30B AA; 4 fixed 324-mm Cray Marine DMTS 90 ASW TT (Stingray torpedoes); 1 Lynx HAS.3/HMA.8 helicopter (Sea Skua missiles and/or Stingray ASW torpedoes) (F 229, 233, 234: Merlin HM.1 helicopter)
Electronics:
Radar: 1 Kelvin-Hughes Type 1007 nav.; 1 Decca Type 1008 nav.; 1 BAE Systems Type 996(2) 3-D surf./air-search; 2 BAE Systems Type 911(1) missile/gun f.c.
Sonar: ThalesType 2050NE bow-mounted (4.5-7.5 kHz); Dowty Type 2031(Z) towed linear passive array (not in last six)
E/O: 1 GSA.8/GPEOD Sea Archer gun f.c. and surveillance
EW: Racal UAF(1) Cutlass (F 238 and later: UAT(1)) intercept; DLB decoy syst. (4 6-round RL); 2 DEC laser dazzler; 2DLF(2) floating decoy dispensers; Type 182 or Type 2070 (SLQ-25A) towed torpedo decoy syst.
M: CODLAG (COmbined Diesel-eLectric and Gas turbine): first seven: 2 Rolls-Royce SM1A Spey gas turbines (18,770 shp each, 17,000 sust.), F 237 and later: 2 Rolls-Royce SM1C Spey (26,150 shp each); all: 4 Paxman Valenta 12 RPA 200CZ diesel generator sets (5,200 kw total); 2 2,000-shp electric cruise motors; 2 props; F 229-236: 41,540 shp max./F 237-on: 52,300 shp max.
Electric: 1,890 kw tot. (see Remarks) Range: 7,800/17 Fuel: 800 tons
Crew: 17 officers, 57 senior ratings, 111 junior ratings (F 234: 150 tot.)
Remarks: Intended as lineal replacements for the Leander-class frigates. Originally intended to serve for only 18 years, without midlife modernization, but are now to serve longer, with upgrades to begin around 2005. F 230 cost £135.5 million; the others cost between £60 and £96 million each. F 230 ordered 29-10-84; F 231-F 233 on 15-7-86; F 234–236 on 11-7-88; F 237–239 on 19-12-89; F 80–F 82 on 23-1-92; and final three on 28-2-96. Class originally was to have totaled 24. F 229 was originally given pennant F 232; changed because a “Form 232” is used to report a collision or grounding. With completion of the class, 12 are expected to be operational at any one time, with the other four in refit. F 78 began sea trials on 27-5-99. F 229 had the hangar altered to accept the Merlin helicopter in a refit concluded in 8-99; also added were enlarged weapons sponsons amidships and improved communications systems. F 80 ran aground near Oslo, Norway, on 11-9-00 but was soon pulled off with minor damage. On 22-5-02, F 234 was rededicated after an overhaul that included substituting the Mod. 1 114-mm gun, reconfiguring the hangar to accommodate the Merlin helicopter, refurbishing the galley, installing a new interior lighting system, and an overhaul of the propulsion machinery; the ship will operate with a “lean-manned” crew of 150. F 235 underwent major refit and received Merlin helicopter modification in 2003.
The initial group of six became the 6th Frigate Squadron on 23-3-93, based at Devonport and with F231 as flagship. The 4th Frigate Squadron, based at Portsmouth, was formed later and now includes F 229, F 233, F 234, F 237, F 239, F 78, F 80, and F 83; the 6th Frigate Squadron, at Devonport, includes F 230, F 231, F 235, F 236, F 238, F 79, F 81, and F 82. F 83 was hit by the ferry Pride of Portsmouth on 27-10-02, causing severe damage to the frigate’s bridge wing and deck fittings; repairs were completed on 12-2-03. Grafton (F 80), Norfolk (F 230), and Marlborough (F 233) are expected to be retired by 2006.
Hull systems: Flush-decked hull, with large helicopter hangar, helo in-haul system, and one set of fin stabilizers. The design grew considerably as a result of Falklands War “Lessons-Learned.” The propulsion system permits running the shaft-concentric electric propulsion motors with the power from any combination of the four 1,300-kw ship’s service generators; power from both the gas turbines and the electric motors can be obtained; ship’s service power is derived from two 945-kw converter sets, and there is also a 250-kw emergency alternator powered by a Perkins CV 250GTCA diesel. Have fixed-pitch props, with astern power available only by electric drive. The more powerful engines in F 237-onward provide 1–2 knots additional speed, and F 79 made 30.8 kts during builder’s trials. Superstructure external bulkheads are sloped about 7° to reduce radar signature, and radar-absorbent coatings are applied.
Combat systems: The planned Ferranti CACS 4 combat data/control system for these ships was canceled in 7-87; its replacement, the BAe Defence Systems Group (ex-Dowty-Sema-Racal) Outfit DNA(1) SSCS (Surface Ship Control System), with parallel processing, modular software, and Link 11 and 14 compatibility, was not ordered until 10-8-89. The first seagoing outfit DNA(1) was fitted in Westminster, and the earlier ships were severely handicapped for combat until they could be backfitted; full system operability was implemented in a series of software updates that continued into 1999. F 233 ran trials in 1992 with the Data-Fusion Technology Demonstrator (TDS), employing 5 Microvax 3800 and 5 Sigmax 6264 computers. F 234 has Marconi ICS 4 integrated communications system, with U.S. URC-109 components; the others have Redifon ICS 6. All are equipped with two SCOT 1C antennas for the Skynet SATCOM system and also carry a commercial SATCOM terminal (with antenna mounted on the forward edge of the stack). There have been problems with the accuracy of the Type 996(2) radar, which also produces excess numbers of false tracks, and there have been software problems with the vertical-launch missile system. All will likely be equipped with the U.S. Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), with installation to begin on seven of the class in 2004.
Have first bow-mounted sonars in the Royal Navy. The sterns have had to be strengthened to permit towing the Type 2031(Z) array; Thales Type 2087 bistatic VLF towed arrays will begin to replace 2031(Z) in the ships that had it around 2006 and will eventually be fitted to all; plans call for using one ship for trials with the low-frequency active towed linear array. F 234 is equipped with a prototype TRAMP (Torpedo Recognition Acoustic Multi-beam Processor) for trials in connection with the new SSTD torpedo countermeasures system.
Decca Type 1008 navigational radars have been added to all, with the antenna mounted to starboard atop the pilothouse; the antenna for the older Type 1007 radar is mounted off-center to port on the mainmast to allow an aft view for helicopter flight-control employment. F 238 and later have UAT vice UAF-1 EW equipment. The Racal 7.5-18 GHz Scorpion jammer may be added to the EW suite. UAT(7) is to replace UAF EW equipment in the first seven. The Type 275 jammers were deactivated or removed by end-2000.
The 114-mm guns are to be updated by VSEL to Mod. 1 status, saving about 6 tons in weight and considerable below-decks volume; the first was to complete installation in F 230 in 11-00, followed in sequence by F 234, F 233, F 235 and F 236 by 9-03. The GSA.8/GPEOD Sea Archer optronic/IR director is mounted on the mast for the 114-mm gun. There is no provision for a CIWS, and until SSCS installation was completed, the ships were able to control only one Sea Wolf missile at a time.
When the class is completed, six of the twelve operational units will operate with Merlin HM.1 helicopters and the other six with Lynx HMA.8s. As of 4-00, F 229 was fitted to carry the Merlin HM.1 helicopter for trials, while F 233 became the first of the class with a fully operational Merlin HM.1.; F 235 began an overhaul during 6-02 that will provide a Merlin operational capability. Merlin-equipped ships have the PRISM deck-handling system, a new glide-path indicator and gyro-stabilized horizon indicator, new deck lighting, modular servicing systems in the hangar, and a bridge Ship Helicopter Operating Limits Instrumentation System (SHOLIS) on the bridge.


Details supplied by PETER CRICHTON