HMS Monmouth (F235)

History of HMS Monmouth (F235)

HMS Monmouth (F235) is a modern Type 23 guided missile frigate consisting of surface combatants serving the Royal Navy. The warship was ordered in July 1988 and built by Yarrow Shipbuilders on June 1, 1989.

The ship was launched on 23 November 1991 and officially commissioned on 24 September 1993, "Fear of God", she remains active in the British fleet, based at HMNB Devonport, Plymouth. She is also known as the "Black Duke".

True to her design roots, the warship displaces 5,400 tons (short), has a barrel length of 436.3 feet, a beam of 52.9 feet, and a draft of 23.10 feet. Power is provided by a Combined Diesel Electric and Natural Gas (CODLAG) unit using 4 Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators paired with 2 GEC electric motors (4,000 hp) and 2 Rolls-Royce Spey SM1C engines (31,100 hp).

This enables the vessel to sail at speeds in excess of 28 knots and up to 7,500 knots.

There are 185 crew members on board and the ship can accommodate a total of 205 people if required. It has the usual missile/torpedo survivability system and electronic warfare (EW) common to other warships of its kind. Armament is 1 x 4.5" Mk.

8 gun with turret (above forecastle), 1 x 32 cell "Seawolf" Vertical Launch System (VLS) for Seawolf or Seawolf Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM), 16 x Harpoon anti-ship missiles in two quad launchers, 12.75" torpedo tubes in two twin launchers, 2 x 30mm DS30 autocannons, 2 Gatling-style 7.62 mm miniature machine guns and four 7.62mm general purpose machine guns (GPMG).

All of this makes Monmouth a "multi-mission" ship capable of airspace denial, anti-ship/anti-submarine, escort and general patrol operations. The warship has built-in capabilities to deal with air, sea or underwater threats with equal lethality.

In addition to the installed systems, this warship has a combined hangar/helipad function in the stern of the hull. This allows for the support of one or two medium lift/multi-role helicopters that can be equipped for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) or anti-ship roles, as well as maritime search and rescue (SAR) and resupply.

Equipped for submarine/ship hunting, these helicopters carry powerful missiles and torpedoes, and provide the all-important "eye in the sky" advantage, known as over-the-horizon (OtH).

To date (2019) Monmouth has participated in goodwill trips to Allied ports and assisting humanitarian causes. She also conducted an anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia in 2011 and underwent an overhaul the following year.

There was another Persian Gulf cruise in 2013 and another major overhaul in 2015.

Despite its Cold War roots, the HMS Monmouth remains fairly active in naval operations related to the Royal Navy and will remain a combat platform for the foreseeable future.

Specification

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