NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Mermaid	F76	2284	Yarrow SB, Scotstoun	1965	29.12.1966	16.5.1973	to Malaysia 5.1977 (Hang Tuah)

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	2300
Displacement full, t	2520
Length, m	97.5 pp 103.4 oa
Breadth, m	12.2
Draught, m	3.70 hull 4.90 screws
No of shafts	2
Machinery	8 ASR1 diesels
Power, h. p.	14400
Max speed, kts	24
Fuel, t	diesel oil 230
Endurance, nm(kts)	4800(15)
Armament	1 x 2 - 102/45 Mk 19, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, helicopter deck
Electronic equipment	AWS-1, type 978 radars, STD Mk 1 e/o system, type 174, type 170B sonars
Complement	235

Standard scale images

Project history

Ordered by Ghana to serve as flagship and presidential yacht for President Nkrumah, but cancelled when a coup toppled him from power. She was launched without being named and completed fitting out in 1968, but without armament. Negotiations to sell her abroad failed and after being laid up at Scotstoun she was bought by the RN in April 1972 for conversion to a training ship; refitting started at Chatham in October that year.

The design was based on the Type 41 or Leopard class, but without the raised forecastle and with a flush forecastle deck and a funnel.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Although successful in RN service, she was an odd number in the inventory and was sold to Malaysia in May 1977 as Hang Tuah, replacing the previous ship of that name.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.