HMS Ardent (F184) - Type 21 (Amazon Class) Frigate -
Drawing donated by Andrew Arthur
Type 21 Frigate
The Type 21 frigate or Amazon class frigate was a
general-purpose escort designed in the late 1960s.
Built in the 1970s, they served throughout the 1980s
into the 1990s. These ships were the Royal Navy's
first privately designed modern frigates. They were
also the first design to enter service which used
solely gas-turbine propulsion (the Type 42 was
designed to use this system first), as opposed to the
steam turbines or diesel engines of their
predecessors. The design made use of large amounts of
aluminium alloy in the superstructure to lower top
weight. A total of eight frigates were built, Amazon,
Antelope, Active, Ambuscade, Arrow, Alacrity, Ardent
and Avenger. HMS Ardent and HMS Antelope were both
sunk in the Falklands War. All six remaining Type 21s
were sold to Pakistan in 1993–1994.
The class was renamed by the Pakistan Navy to the Tariq class, after the first vessel they acquired, PNS Tariq, formerly HMS Ambuscade. As of 2008, all six ships remain in service. They have had their Sea Cat launcher removed, as well as the Exocets. Three of the ships had the Exocets replaced by the more capable Harpoon missile. In 2005, it was reported that a Chinese made LY-60 / FD-60 / PL10 (Hunting Eagle - Navy version) anti-air missile launcher was installed aboard the other three frigates by Pakistan.
The class was renamed by the Pakistan Navy to the Tariq class, after the first vessel they acquired, PNS Tariq, formerly HMS Ambuscade. As of 2008, all six ships remain in service. They have had their Sea Cat launcher removed, as well as the Exocets. Three of the ships had the Exocets replaced by the more capable Harpoon missile. In 2005, it was reported that a Chinese made LY-60 / FD-60 / PL10 (Hunting Eagle - Navy version) anti-air missile launcher was installed aboard the other three frigates by Pakistan.
General characteristics
Displacement: 3,250 tons full load
Length: 384 ft (117 m)
Beam: 41 ft 9 in (12.7 m)
Draught: 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines, plus two Rolls-Royce RM1A Tyne gas turbines for cruising
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
Range: 4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots (7,400 km at 31 km/h), 1,200 nautical miles at 30 knots (2,220 km at 56 km/h)
Complement: 177 (199 carried to the Falklands)
Armament: One Mk8 4.5 inch (110 mm) automated gun
Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns
Four SeaCat Surface to Air Missiles on launcher (SAM), reloaded manually by weapons crews
Four MM38 Exocet Surface to Surface (SSM) anti-ship missiles
Two Corvus anti-missile decoy chaff launchers, reloaded manually by weapons crews
2 x 12.75" (324mm) 3-tube STWS-1 anti-submarine torpedo launchers
One Type 182 towed decoy for torpedo counter measures
Aircraft carried: One Westland Lynx
Length: 384 ft (117 m)
Beam: 41 ft 9 in (12.7 m)
Draught: 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines, plus two Rolls-Royce RM1A Tyne gas turbines for cruising
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
Range: 4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots (7,400 km at 31 km/h), 1,200 nautical miles at 30 knots (2,220 km at 56 km/h)
Complement: 177 (199 carried to the Falklands)
Armament: One Mk8 4.5 inch (110 mm) automated gun
Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns
Four SeaCat Surface to Air Missiles on launcher (SAM), reloaded manually by weapons crews
Four MM38 Exocet Surface to Surface (SSM) anti-ship missiles
Two Corvus anti-missile decoy chaff launchers, reloaded manually by weapons crews
2 x 12.75" (324mm) 3-tube STWS-1 anti-submarine torpedo launchers
One Type 182 towed decoy for torpedo counter measures
Aircraft carried: One Westland Lynx
Ardent - A Brief History
The name Ardent has been used by the Royal Navy for
various warships since
the very beginning of the British fleet being
in service. The Type 21 HMS Ardent was built
by Yarrow shipyard, laid down in Febuary 1974
and was launched by Her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Gloucester on the 9 May 1975. The
ship was commissioned into Royal Navy service
on 13 October 1977.
Photo: HMS Ardent being launched
HMS Ardent was one of the first ships to support Operation Armilla, the UK response to the Iran/Iraq tanker wars. Ardent left its home port of Devonport, Plymouth on the 8th of December 1980 and remained deployed in the Gulf until the summer of 1981.
More: Gulf Patrol 1981
Photo: HMS Ardent being launched
HMS Ardent was one of the first ships to support Operation Armilla, the UK response to the Iran/Iraq tanker wars. Ardent left its home port of Devonport, Plymouth on the 8th of December 1980 and remained deployed in the Gulf until the summer of 1981.
More: Gulf Patrol 1981