Type 22 Broadsword 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 Type 22 frigates are among the most successful warships built for the Royal Navy since 1945, but their continued evolution led to a ship that is probably closer to a cruiser or destroyer (in terms of capability and cost) than a simple frigate, particularly in their weapons fit. The propulsion plant of Type 22 is COGAG type combined each two of Spey and Tyne gas turbines.
Broadsword Type 22 Batch 1 Class Frigates were planned as replacements for the Leander Class. Although a total of 24 units were originally planned, only 14 were actually built. The Type 22 Batch 1 group of ships have all been sold to the Brazilian Navy, where they replaced the proposed Brazilian lease of four Knox class frigates from the US.
Two of the Batch 1 frigates (HMS BROADSWORD and HMS BRILLIANT) served with distinction in the Falkland's war and HMS BRILLIANT was the subject of a BBC documentary shortly before she was decommissioned. HMS Brilliant was the third of the Type 22 frigates commissioned by the Royal Navy. She served long and well, most notably in the Falklands War, claiming several aircraft 'kills'. After serving 19 years, she was sold to the Brazilian Navy in 1997. HMS London entered service in 1987, the fourth of the 'stretched' or batch 2 design Type 22 frigate. Her primary role is anti-submarine operations and she is fitted with the latest computer assisted sonar systems and communications equipment.
The Exocet missile launcher has been removed from the batch 2 Type 22 Frigate HMS Sheffield because the variant of the missile used by the RN is now obsolete and no longer in Naval service. There are no plans to replace the launcher. HMS Sheffield remains armed with a potent mixture of weapons and sensors including Seawolf Anti-Air Missiles, Stingray Anti-Submarine Torpedoes and a helicopter able to carry the Sea Skua Anti-ship missile. There are no plans to remove the launchers from the remaining batch 2 vessels in this class as, given their relatively short remaining life, it would not be economic to do so. The latest Batch (3) Type 22 Frigates carry the Harpoon anti-ship missile system.
The actual cost per annum of operation for ships such as Type 23 frigates, Type 22 frigates, SSNs, Hunt Class minehunters and Sandown Class minehunters will vary considerably dependent on the tasking/maintenance undertaken. Indicative annual costs, including manpower, fuel and stores only, would be in the region of £16 million for a Type 23 and a Type 22 frigate, £11 million for an SSN, £3 million for a Hunt Class minehunter and £2 million for a Sandown Class minehunter.
