NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Achilles 1972

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Leander (ex-Weymouth)	F109	1591	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	10.4.1959	28.6.1961	27.3.1963	sunk as target 14.9.1989
Ajax (ex-Fowey)	F114	1285	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	19.10.1959	16.8.1962	11.12.1963	BU 8.1988
Dido (ex-Hastings (ii))	F104	2155	Yarrow, Scotstoun	2.12.1959	22.12.1961	18.9.1963	to New Zealand 7.1983 (Southland)
Penelope (ex-Coventry, ex-Panther)	F127	165	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	14.3.1961	17.8.1962	1.11.1963	to Ecuador 4.1991 (Presidente Eloy Alfaro)
Aurora	F10	721	John Brown, Clydebank	1.6.1961	28.11.1962	9.4.1964	BU 9.1990
Euryalus	F15	691	Scotts, Greenock	2.11.1961	6.6.1963	16.9.1964	BU 9.1990
Galatea	F18	1935	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	29.12.1961	23.5.1963	25.4.1964	sunk as target 22.6.1988
Arethusa	F38	2015	White, Cowes	17.9.1962	5.11.1963	29.9.1965	sunk 1.6.1991
Naiad	F39	2224	Yarrow, Scotstoun	30.10.1962	4.11.1963	15.3.1965	for hull trials 1989
Phoebe	F42	681	Stephen, Glasgow	3.6.1963	8.7.1964	15.4.1966	BU 10.1992
Cleopatra	F28		Devonport DYd	19.6.1963	25.3.1964	1.3.1966	BU 1.1994
Minerva	F45	179	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	27.7.1963	19.12.1964	13.5.1966	BU 1.1994
Sirius	F40		Portsmouth DYd	9.8.1963	22.9.1964	15.6.1966	sunk as target 18.9.1998
Juno	F52	4207	Thornycroft, Woolston	16.7.1964	24.11.1965	18.7.1967	TS 1985, BU 2.1995
Argonaut	F56	758	Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn	27.11.1964	8.2.1966	17.8.1967	BU 1.1995
Danae	F47		Devonport DYd	16.1.1965	21.10.1965	10.10.1967	to Ecuador 4.1991 (Morán Valverde)

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	2350
Displacement full, t	2860
Length, m	109.7 pp 113.4 oa
Breadth, m	12.5
Draught, m	5.50 max
No of shafts	2
Machinery	F10, 15, 18, 28, 38, 39, 104, 109, 114, 127: 2 sets White-English Electric Y-100 geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers F40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: 2 sets White-English Electric Y-136 geared steam turbines, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	30000
Max speed, kts	28
Fuel, t	oil 460
Endurance, nm(kts)	4000(15)
Armament	F10, 15, 18, 38, 104, 109, 114, 127: 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp) F28, 39, 40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: 1 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM (12 Sea Cat), 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp)
Electronic equipment	F10, 15, 18, 38, 104, 109, 114, 127: type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 903, type 978 radars, type 162M, type 184M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL F28, 39, 40, 42, 45, 47, 52, 56: type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 904, type 978 radars, type 162M, type 184M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL
Complement	251 - 263

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The advances made in the 'Tribal' class pointed the way to a return to the concept of a general-purpose escort instead of the prevailing idea of specialized escorts operating in a group. Work done on a revision of the Type 12 design for New Zealand, incorporating two helicopters and full air-conditioning, provided further impetus to studies by M K Purvis. The design which evolved managed to incorporate the long-range air warning radar and the helicopter of the Tribal' class, but with the armament, fire control and rough-weather capability of the Whitby/Rothesay design.

The secret was to replace the separate ballast tanks of the Type 12 with self-compensating fuel tanks, in which the fuel was displaced by sea water as it was consumed. As many heavy items as possible were moved lower down in the ship, increasing not only the margin of stability, but also the amount of space for the operations room, extra generating capacity and auxiliary machinery. The forecastle deck was extended right aft and a new superstructure deck was built above that, extending from the bridge back to the helicopter hangar. This transformed the appearance and as it was complemented by a well-balanced funnel the Leander set a new standard of good looks sadly lacking in some previous British designs. Building of the class was expedited by stopping work on the last three Rothesays at an early stage, and a further thirteen ships were laid down under the 1960-64 Programmes.

The class was generally considered to be the finest escorts ever built for the Royal Navy and some of the best in the world. To increase the margin for future growth the next group of Leanders ordered was given 0.6m more beam.

The machinery of the original design was improved, providing a greater degree of automatic control: the first ten had the Y-100 type and the rest Y-136. One of the benefits conferred by having advanced machinery control was the remarkable manoeuvrability and acceleration which was such a feature of the Leanders. During the 'Cod War' die Leanders proved that they could outmanoeuvre the Icelandic gunboats by changing speed rapidly.

Modernizations

1970, Penelope: - 1 x 2 - 120/45; + 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM (6 Sea Wolf), type 967/968, type 910 radars

1972, Leander; 1973, Ajax; 1975, Naiad; 1976, Euryalus; 1977, Arethusa; 1978, Dido: as Batch 1 - armament consisted of 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (24 Sea Cat), 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 ASuM (10 Ikara), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp); type 993, type 904, type 1006, Ikara control radars, type 170B, type 184M, type 162M, type 199 sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, ADAWS-5 CCS; 2450/2960t, complement 257.

1974, Galatea; 1976, Aurora: as Batch 1 - armament consisted of 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (24 Sea Cat), 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 ASuM (10 Ikara), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp); type 993, type 904, type 1006 radars, type 170B, type 184M, type 162M, type 199 sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, ADAWS-5 CCS; 2450/2960t, complement 257.

1979, Penelope: - 1 x 6 Sea Wolf GWS25 SAM, type 967/968, type 910 radars; + 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6

1975, Cleopatra; 1977, Sirius, Phoebe; 1979, Minerva: as Batch 2A - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM (24 Sea Cat), 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 12, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223

1980, Argonaut; 1982, Penelope: as Batch 2B - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 3 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (36 Sea Cat), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9 ECM, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Mk 36 SRBOC, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223

1981, Danae: as Batch 2B - armament consisted of 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 3 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22B SAM (36 Sea Cat), 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 2 x 1 - 20/90 GAM-B01, 1 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 12, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx); type 965 AKE-1, 2x type 904, type 1006, type 993 radars, type 184M, type 162M sonars, UA-8/9 ECM, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites, 2x Mk 36 SRBOC, 2x Corvus decoy RL, CAAIS CCS; 2790/3200t, complement 223

1982, Phoebe: as Batch 2TA - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031(1) sonar, UA-13 ECM suite

1983, Argonaut; 1985, Sirius: as Batch 2TA - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031(1) sonar

1983, Cleopatra: as Batch 2TA: - 2 x 2 - 20/70, type 965 AKE-1, 1x type 904 radars; + type 2031 sonar, UA-13 ECM suite

1986, Arethusa: as Batch 1B: - 1 x 1 Ikara GWS40 AsuM, 2 x 1 - 40/60, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp), type 170B, type 199 sonars, ADAWS-5 CCS; + 4 x 1 MM38 Exocet SSM (4 MM38), 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx), type 2031(1) sonar, CAAIS CCS

early 1980s, Leander, Ajax, Aurora, Euryalus, Galatea, Naiad: - type 993 radar, type 199 sonar; + type 994 radar

1985, Juno: as navigation TS: - 1 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM, 1 x 2 - 120/45 Mk 6, 1 x 3 - 305 Limbo Mk 10 ASWRL, 1 helicopter (Wasp), type 965 AKE-1, type 992Q, type 904, type 978 radars, UA-8/9, type 668 or type 669 ECM suites; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 7, 2 x 3 - 324 STWS.1 TT, 1 helicopter (Lynx), type 1006, type 993 radars, type 170M sonar

Naval service

No significant events.