HMS Argyll (F231)
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The third HMS ''Argyll'' is a Type 23 Duke-class
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
. Commissioned in 1991 and prior to her retirement, ''Argyll'' was the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. Like all of her class she was named after a British dukedom, in this case that of
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
. HMS ''Argyll'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
in March 1987 by
Yarrow Shipbuilders Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited (YSL), often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships, owned by BAE Systems, which has also o ...
at
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, and launched in 1989 by Lady Wendy Levene, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors. ''Argyll'' was the first Type 23 to be fitted with the new Sea Ceptor missile system. The ship, like her sisters HMS ''Monmouth'', HMS ''Montrose'', HMS ''Lancaster'' and HMS ''Iron Duke'', did not receive the new Sonar 2087 upgrade that other frigates of the class subsequently received. Therefore she was regarded as a "general purpose" frigate without the more specialized anti-submarine capability of the other eight ships in the Type 23 fleet. ''Argyll'' was retired and sold to
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
for apprentice training in 2024.


Operational history


1991–2000

On 26 March 1994, ''Argyll's''
Lynx helicopter The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to t ...
crashed into the sea off
Andros Island Andros is an archipelago in The Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consists of hun ...
in the West Indies while practising for an air display. The crew escaped and were rescued but the aircraft was unrecoverable after sinking in 5,000ft of water. In 2000, ''Argyll'' was part of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
task force – Task Group 342.01 – comprising , , , , and four RFA ships – that deployed to
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
as part of the British military intervention in the Sierra Leone civil war. During those operations, ''Argyll'' acted as the West African Guardship and remained off West Africa until September 2000. Throughout this period ''Argyll'' operated with her Lynx HMA Mk 8 helicopter. The Lynx undertook daily patrols and searches. The Lynx was instrumental to the successful completion of Operation Barras. During her deployment, the helicopter was scrambled to search for a missing passenger ferry. The aircraft's crew quickly located the vessel and provided escort for ''Argyll''. ''Argyll'' saved fifty-eight lives from drowning. She was relieved by her sister-ship in September. During this incident ''Argyll'', assisted by HMS ''Ocean'', laid the foundation for the Iron Duke Community School. This is a school for orphans in Freetown. President Kabbah of
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
decreed the school be named after the crew of for completing the construction of the six classrooms.


2001–2010

In 2001, while in the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...
, ''Argyll'' suffered an electrical fire that was quickly put out by the ship's damage control team, with the ship suffering only minimal damage. ''Argyll'' completed a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf protecting two oil platforms, working with the American, Australian and Iraqi Navies from February to August 2005. The ship made a short visit to
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
, then to its home port of
Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Located on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, Inveraray is a former royal burgh and known affectionately as "The Capital of Argyll." It is the ...
and finally to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, before undergoing Operational Sea Trials. ''Argyll'' successfully completed Operational Sea Training and acted as a contingency platform whilst the Queen spent a week sailing on the in July 2006. In September 2006 ''Argyll'' was deployed along with other ships such as and where she completed two drugs raids on merchant ships totalling . They completed their operation in November of the same year. In October 2007 ''Argyll'' returned to the Persian Gulf to take over from her sister-ship, . On 3 April 2008 more than 500 friends and relatives welcomed HMS ''Argyll'' as she returned to her home at Devonport after a deployment lasting six months in the Northern Persian Gulf. This was ''Argyll''s second Gulf deployment to Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in three years. This deployment included one patrol which lasted 52 days from January to March 2008. HMS ''Argyll'' was also at the 'Meet Your Navy' exhibition at HMNB Portsmouth 2008. 6 May 2008 saw the crew return to ''Argyll'', with the crew bidding their commanding officer of seven months, Commander Gavin Pritchard, a fond farewell. Pritchard was succeeded by Commander Peter Olive. ''Argyll'' was then to engage in a period of trials and training before entering a period of maintenance in June. 11 May 2008 saw the Trans-Atlantic solo yacht race in Plymouth Sound started by the ceremonial cannon aboard ''Argyll''. Dame
Ellen MacArthur Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur (born 8 July 1976) is an English retired sailor and charity founder. MacArthur is a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman – on 7 February 2005, she broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnaviga ...
also attended the start of the race and Rear Admiral Richard Ibbotson, head of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation, was also on board ''Argyll''. On 21 July 2008 ''Argyll'' led the parade of
tall ships A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigging, rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a r ...
out of Liverpool ahead of the Tall Ships Race starting 23 July. On 18 February 2009, ''Argyll'' sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson, She was joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock , as Hudson's
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
, Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) ,
Type 23 frigate The Type 23 frigate or Duke class is a class of frigates built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The ships are named after British Dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the Duke class. The first Type 23, , was commission ...
and four ships of the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...
. ''Argyll'' returned to Devonport on 17 April from this deployment. In early October 2010, ''Argyll'' and her crew arrived in Plymouth last week after an 11-month refit which included 290,000-man-hours spent on modifications, upgrades and improvements." She has received a new command system, upgrades to Sea Wolf, the Mod1 4.5-inch (114mm) gun, and mounts for new small calibre guns. She was also given new boat-launching equipment. "The refit included the replacing of two of the vessel's four diesel generators and one of her gas turbine engines." Her ventilation system has been improved. "Along with fresh paint on the upper decks she has been coated below the waterline with a special paint to prevent the build-up of sea life which would slow the ship. This also makes her more fuel-efficient." HMS ''Argyll'' was the first Type 23 frigate to undergo a second major refit.


2011–2021

On Sunday 22 January 2012 it was announced that ''Argyll'' was part of a six-ship convoy which sailed through the
Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...
alongside French and
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
vessels, during a diplomatic dispute with Iran. In a period after this she engaged in Exercise 'Goalkeeper' whilst still in the Middle East. On 30 June 2012,
Armed Forces Day An Armed Forces Day, alongside its Military branch, branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the Military, armed forces, o ...
, she fired the salute in
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
as part of a steampast alongside , the
Earl of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Norman Conquest, Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex ( ...
was in attendance alongside the
First Sea Lord First Sea Lord, officially known as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS), is the title of a statutory position in the British Armed Forces, held by an Admiral (Royal Navy), admiral or a General (United Kingdom), general of the ...
. In 2013, she served a seven-month deployment to the Atlantic, having visited South Africa. She also engaged in counter-narcotics work in the Eastern Pacific by travelling around
Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...
and headed back to her home port via the Panama Canal. In March 2014, she accidentally fired a test (unarmed) torpedo whilst training at Devonport, there were no injuries and minimal damage. On 30 June 2014, she arrived in
Hamilton, Bermuda Hamilton is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and the main settlement of Pembroke Parish. A port city, Hamilton is Bermuda's financial and commercial centre, and a popular tourist destination. Its population of ...
for a three-day visit as part of her deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean. She arrived in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, Maryland, US on 11 September 2014 to participate in ceremonies commemorating the 200th anniversary of the
Star Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
. On 25 September 2014, she arrived in
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
. On 6 October 2014, HMS ''Argyll'' visited George Town, Grand Cayman, after having been on counter-narcotics deployment in August 2014 as part of Operation Martillo. From 9 to 13 October 2014 HMS ''Argyll'' paid an official visit to the Dominican Republic during the course of which her flight deck hosted the baptism of Stefania Rozsa, daughter of the British Ambassador. On 18 October 2014, she arrived in
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
to provide assistance in the aftermath of
Hurricane Gonzalo Hurricane Gonzalo was the second tropical cyclone, after Hurricane Fay, to directly strike the island of Bermuda in a one-week time frame in October 2014, and was the first Category 4 hurricane, Category4 Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Ophel ...
. In 2014, a
Lynx A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
from ''Argyll'' identified a suspicious yacht in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
, and a detachment of the U.S. Coast Guard operating from ''Argyll'' seized $16 million worth of cocaine found on the yacht. The group had seized an even larger shipment earlier on the same deployment. In 2015, ''Argyll'' underwent an extended Life Extension (LIFEX) refit in Devonport; she returned to sea in February 2017 with a new principal weapon system, Sea Ceptor, and numerous modifications and alterations to her accommodation and working spaces. ''Argyll'' acted as the trials vessel for Sea Ceptor prior to resuming her operational duties and it was announced in September 2017 that she had undertaken the first firings of the new system earlier in the summer off the west coast of Scotland. In 2017, it was announced that ''Argyll'' would be sent to join military exercises in the Asia Pacific with the
Five Power Defence Arrangements The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of bilateral defence relationships established by a series of multi-lateral agreements between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, all of which are Commonwe ...
partners and also the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. Part of her mission is "to continue the pressure campaign on North Korea". On 11 March 2019, ''Argyll'' rescued a 27-strong crew from a burning container vessel Grande America 150 miles off the coast of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. On 15 March 2019 the ship returned to
HMNB Devonport His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roya ...
after a nine-month deployment to
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. On 11 September 2019, she demonstrated the use of an autonomous PAC24
unmanned surface vehicle An unmanned surface vehicle, unmanned surface vessel or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), colloquially called a drone boat, drone ship or sea drone, is a boat or ship that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs operate with v ...
, a modified version of the boat the ship already carries, at the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 exhibition. Also involved in the demonstration was an additional autonomous boat: the MAST-13. In December 2020, the ship visited
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
to allow for strategic talks between British First Sea Lord Admiral
Tony Radakin Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, (born 10 November 1965) is a senior Royal Navy officer. He was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed ...
and Egyptian Admiral Ahmed Khaled Hassan Saeed. The ship took part in joint-exercises between Egypt and the UK.


2022–present

In May 2022, ''Argyll'' became the first Type 23 to have undergone a LIFEX refit to undergo a subsequent major upkeep period, which saw the ship dry-docked for an extended period to enable it to be retained in service until around 2027-28, when it was intended to be replaced by either or . In response to questions posed in Parliament, the Minister of State at the MoD, James Cartlidge, could not confirm that HMS ''Argyll'' would remain in service. In May 2024, it was confirmed that the frigate would be retired and sold to
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
to support apprentice training. In 2022, ''Argyll'' spent just 21 days at sea. ''Argyll'' had been scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2023. However, in 2021 in a written answer provided to the House of Commons Select Defence Committee, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, suggested that older Type 23 frigates would be retained in service longer than anticipated in order to ensure that total escort numbers did not fall below 17 ships (6 destroyers and 11 frigates) and start to rise above 19 escorts starting in 2026. This would have required ''Argyll'' to have been kept in service significantly longer than anticipated. However in May 2024, it was indicated that she would be retired and sold to BAE Systems for apprentice training instead. This occurred despite the fact that in May 2022 she began an 18-month refit with the intent of extending her service life until about 2027-28.


Related images

File:HMS Argyll (F231) with Senegalese patrol vessel in 2013.jpg, HMS ''Argyll'' off Senegal, in 2013 File:Navydays Zeebrugge HMS Argyll 12-07-2009 17-12-03.jpg, HMS ''Argyll'' during Navydays Zeebrugge 2009 File:HMS_Argyll_GWS60_Harpoon_Missile_system_12-07-2009_17-04-43.jpg,
Harpoon A harpoon is a long, spear-like projectile used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other hunting to shoot, kill, and capture large fish or marine mammals such as seals, sea cows, and whales. It impales the target and secures it with barb or ...
anti-ship missiles on ''Argyll'' File:Navydays_Zeebrugge_HMS_Argyll_12-07-2009_17-02-20.jpg, 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun on board ''Argyll'' (prior to refit)


Affiliations

HMS ''Argyll'' was affiliated with: * His Grace, The Duke of Argyll *
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
, 5th Battalion
Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) is the British Army Order of Precedence, senior and only current Scottish regiment, Scottish line infantry Regiment#British Army, regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (form ...
* No. 47 Squadron RAF * Argyll and Bute District Council * City of Glasgow * Worshipful Company of Paviors * Plymouth Argyle F.C. * Lady Levene, the ship's sponsor * RNR * Royal Naval Club, Argyll * Royal Naval Association Stirling * TS ''Argyll'' – Irvine & District Sea Cadets * City of London Sea Cadets * Mount Kelly,
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
*
Dollar Academy Dollar Academy is a 5–18 Private schools in the United Kingdom, private co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil ...
,
Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; ; ), or the County of Clackmannan, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, Council areas of Scotland, council area, registration counties, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland ...
*
High School of Glasgow The High School of Glasgow is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private, co-educational day school, day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the Cathedral school, choir school of Glasgow Cathedra ...
* Argyll Ward,
Derriford Hospital Derriford Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Plymouth, England. The hospital serves Plymouth and nearby areas of Devon and Cornwall. It also provides tertiary cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, renal transplant surgery, and immunolog ...
In July 2017,
GB Railfreight GB Railfreight (GBRf) is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is owned by the global investment company Infracapital, itself a subsidiary of M&G plc, a UK investment group. GB Railfreight was established in April 1999 ...
named locomotive 66775 ''Argyll'' in honour of HMS ''Argyll'' in a ceremony at Devonport.Class 66 naming honours military link ''
Rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Railway track or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' (1967 fil ...
'' issue 832 2 August 2017 page 10


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Argyll (F231) Frigates of the United Kingdom History of Argyll and Bute Ships built on the River Clyde 1989 ships Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy