Type 21 Amazon frigate
During the 1980s, the Royal Navy has had two major frigate classes in service, the Amazon class (Type 21) and the Broadsword class (Type 22) frigates. The origins of the Amazon class lay in the 1966 decision by the Labour Government to phase out the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, and the cancellation of CVA-01, and three out of the four Type 82 destroyers.
The Royal Navy commissioned eight 'Amazons' in the early 1970s. Although they were popular ships to serve in, they lacked the 'growth' potential to accommodate new weapons and sensors. All but HMS Amazon herself served in the Falklands war and (Ardent and Antelope) were lost to Argentine attacks. The heavy seas of the South Atlantic caused severe cracking in the upper deck, which led to steel inserts being welded to the hulls after the war. Further work was carried out on the hulls of the surviving Type 21s from 1988-92, but today none remain in service.
Aluminium was used in the superstructure of the Type 21 class of frigate and to a small extent in a few other classes, but not in the Type 42 destroyers, such as HMS Sheffield. In addition, aluminium is sometimes used for non-structural minor bulkheads, ladders and ventilation trunking. By use of aluminium it is possible to make significant savings in the weight of ships above the water-line, but it has been recognised that this metal loses strength in fires and therefore its extensive use in the construction of RN warships was discontinued several years ago. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that it has contributed to the loss of any vessel during the Falklands conflict.
