HMS Grafton (F80)

HMS Grafton is a Type 23 frigate formerly in service with the Royal Navy. She was the ninth vessel to bear the name, and is named after the Duke of Grafton. Ordered in January 1992, Grafton was laid down on 13 May 1993 by Yarrow Shipbuilders. The frigate was launched on 5 November 1994 and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 29 May 1997 with the pennant number F80. In 2007 the ship was transferred to Chile as Almirante Lynch and, having undergone a significant upgrade from 2019 to 2020, remains in service with the Chilean Navy.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Grafton.

HMS Grafton
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Grafton
NamesakeDuke of Grafton
OrderedJanuary 1992
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down13 May 1993
Launched5 November 1994
Commissioned29 May 1997
Decommissioned31 March 2006
IdentificationF80
FateSold to Chile
Chile
NameAlmirante Lynch
NamesakePatricio Lynch
Commissioned28 March 2007
IdentificationFF-07
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeDuke-class Type 23 frigate
Displacement4,900 tonnes
Length133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
  • 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) on diesel-electric
Range7,800 nmi (14,400 km; 9,000 mi) at 15 kn
Complement185
Armament
Aircraft carriedEurocopter AS332 Super Puma or Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin

Design

Designed to replace the Leander class, the Type 23 frigate's operational role as an anti-submarine warfare platform. They are 133 metres (436 ft 4 in) long with a beam of 16.1 m (52 ft 10 in), a draught of 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) and displaces 4,900 tonnes.

They are propelled by a combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLAG) system with two Rolls-Royce Spey boost gas turbines and four Paxman Valenta diesel engines. They are also equipped with two GEC electric motors. This gives the ships a maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) and 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on diesel-electric. The vessels have an effective range of 7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km; 9,000 mi) at 15 knots.

Armament

Designed to replace the Leander class, the Type 23 frigate's operational role as an anti-submarine warfare platform. The design grew to encompass the Sea Wolf and Harpoon missile systems for air defence and anti-ship purposes respectively. They were also equipped with one BAE 4.5-inch (113 mm) Mk 8 gun.

For anti-submarine purposes they have four Sting Ray torpedo tubes. For anti-missile defence they have Seagnat and DFL3 decoy launchers.

Service history

Royal Navy service

On 23 September 1998, while operating off the coast of Malaysia, Grafton's Lynx helicopter crashed into the sea during a night exercise, one crew member was killed.[1]

In 2003, the ship was used in the ITV drama series Making Waves as the fictional Royal Navy warship Suffolk. In early 2004 the ship was deployed in the Persian Gulf. In July 2004, it was announced that Grafton would be one of three Type 23 frigates to be decommissioned by the end of 2006.

In June 2005, it was announced that Grafton would be sold to the Chilean Navy . During her service in the Royal Navy, her crew were awarded the freedom of the Borough of Ipswich, due to their frequent visits to the Suffolk town. On her last visit to Ipswich in 2006, the ship's bell was presented to the town as a permanent reminder of the links between Grafton and Ipswich. The bell is now on display in the reception area of the Ipswich Borough Council offices at Grafton House, named for the connection to the warship.[2] She was decommissioned on 31 March 2006.

Chilean naval service
For other ships with the same name, see Chilean ship Almirante Lynch.
HMS Grafton after renaming as Almirante Lynch prior to delivery to the Chilean Navy

The frigate was delivered to Chilean Navy on 28 March 2007 at Portsmouth and renamed Almirante Lynch (FF-07) after Patricio Lynch.

Along with other Chilean vessels of her class, Almirante Lynch underwent a significant upgrade from June 2019 to December 2020. The CMS 330 combat management architecture was installed along TRS-4D G-Band active scanning radars and 32 CAMM Sea Ceptor vertical-launch surface-to-air missile silos to replace the previous Sea Wolf SAM system.[3]

Almirante Lynch participated in the multinational military exercise RIMPAC 2022.[4]

References
  1. Doug Henderson (9 December 1998). "Written Answers to Questions: Helicopter Crash (South China Sea)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom. col. 191. Retrieved 16 August 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. Ipswich Borough Council, display at Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 9SA
  3. García, Nicolás (25 October 2021). "Asmar entrega a la Armada de Chile la última fragata Type 23 modernizada". infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  4. Mahadzir, Dzirhan (29 June 2022). "RIMPAC 2022 Kicks Off in Hawaii With 21 Partner Nation Ships". USNI News. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

Publications
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