Three large Royal Navy ships were also seen leaving the Gareloch, heading downfirth past Cloch Point to participate in the exercise. The first ship out was CUMBERLAND, a Type 22 (Batch 3) frigate. She was built on the Clyde by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun, and was commissioned in 1989.
A sistership followed her next, this one also having been built at Scotstoun by Yarrows. CORNWALL, a slightly earlier ship, joined the Royal Navy in 1988. Like the other three ships of this sub-class, CAMPBELTOWN and CHATHAM being the other two, they were built to replace frigates and destroyers that had been lost during the Falklands War in 1982, and represented a considerable improvement of earlier batches of Type 22 frigates, with longer hulls and improved weaponry.
The final British surface ship to be seen leaving was SUTHERLAND, one of the Type 23 'Duke' class frigates, again built on the Clyde by Yarrows. She was commissioned in 1997, and was reputedly the most expensive ship of the class, having cost £143 million.
0 comments:
Post a Comment