HMS Apollo ( F70 ) HMS " Apollo " was a batch 3B broadbeam of the Royal Navy . She was , like the rest of the class , named after a figure of mythology . " Apollo " was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun . She was launched on 15 October 1970 and commissioned on 28 May 1972 , making her the penultimate " Leander " . Both " Apollo " and " Ariadne " are easily distinguished from the other " Leander " s by their ' witches hat ' - fitted to the top of the foremast as a part of the electronic warfare array . Royal Navy Service . " Apollo " was fitted out as a general purpose frigate . Her armaments were : 2 x 4 . 5 inch ( 114mm ) Vickers 45 Mk6 naval guns mounted in a single twin turret with MRS3 / Plessey Type 904 gunnery control system ; quadruple Seacat missile launcher platform with GWS22 guidance system ; Mk10 anti - submarine triple barrel mortar tubes ( auto - load , 92 kg warhead ) ; Westland Wasp helicopter and two 20mm Oerlikon heavy machine guns . She saw her first ' action ' during the Second Cod War in 1973 , during the fishing disputes with Iceland , when " Apollo " , while on a fishery protection patrol , was rammed by the Icelandic gunboat V / s " Ægir " on 29 August 1973 . In January 1977 the UK extended its territorial waters from 12 miles to 200 miles to create an exclusive economic zone for fishery rights . " Apollo " took turns with other frigates to police the North Sea pending the introduction into service of the Island - class fishery protection vessels . This short action was termed ' The Herring War ' . In 1977 , " Apollo " took part in the last Fleet Review of the Royal Navy so far , in celebration of HM the Queen ' s Silver Jubilee . As captain of the Second Frigate Squadron , " Apollo " was responsible for anchorages of all warships at the Royal Fleet Review . In recognition of this work , the admiralty awarded the ship four rather than two 1977 QEII Silver Jubilee Medals . " Apollo " was positioned in the middle of HM ships " Hardy " and " Salisbury " . " Apollo " was intended to be modernised , which would have included the removal of her one 4 . 5 - inch twin gun , which would have been replaced by the Exocet anti - ship missile , but the modernisation was cancelled due to the 1981 Defence Review by the minister John Nott . In July 1982 , " Apollo " was sent to patrol the South Atlantic in the aftermath of the Falklands War and returned home in September . In late 1983 " Apollo " once again returned to the South Atlantic . On this occasion " Apollo " encountered heavy seas in the South Atlantic that damaged her hull . Sale to Pakistan . In 1988 , " Apollo " ' s Royal Navy career came to an end when she was decommissioned and subsequently sold to Pakistan , being renamed PNS " Zulfiqar " . From 1991 - 93 she underwent a major refit and her 20mm guns and seacat system were replaced by twin 25mm mounts , and her Westland Wasp was replaced by an SA 319B Alouette III helicopter . " Zulfiqar " continued in service for 18 years with the Pakistan Navy until 29 October 2006 when she was decommissioned into training . Fate . On Friday 12 March 2010 , " Zulfiqar " was sunk as a target in the Arabian sea . Torpedoes and missiles were fired from an F - 22P frigate , P3C aircraft and an Agosta 90B submarine .