HMS Gloucester ( D96 ) HMS " Gloucester " was a Batch 3 Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy . The ship was built by Vosper Thorneycroft at Woolston , Southampton and launched on 2 November 1982 by The Duchess of Gloucester . " Gloucester " was one of the modified last four of the class to be built , having a lengthened hull design giving better seakeeping qualities and greater endurance . The flight deck recognition letters worn by " Gloucester " were GC , and her international callsign was GBBF . Operational history . " Gloucester " served in the Gulf War in 1991 under the command of Commander ( later Rear Admiral ) Philip Wilcocks where her most notable action was the firing of a salvo shot of Sea Dart missile s to shoot an Iraqi Silkworm missile that was threatening the and allied minehunters ; the first successful missile " vs " missile engagement at sea in combat by any Navy . The ship also survived attacks from two sea mines and conducted numerous boardings using her boarding party consisting of Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel . The ship ' s Lynx helicopter also engaged seven Iraqi warships . She spent the longest period upthreat of any coalition warship . As a result of her endeavours , her captain ( Commander Philip Wilcocks ) and flight commander ( Lt Cdr David Livingstone ) were decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross ; the operations officer and flight observer were both mentioned in Despatches . After this service " Gloucester " was rebranded with her nickname of " The Fighting G " . During the 2006 Israel - Lebanon conflict , " Gloucester " was the first Royal Navy vessel to evacuate British nationals from Beirut , berthing on 18 July 2006 . She made three trips taking evacuees to Cyprus , and was the last Royal Navy ship to leave Beirut . She underwent a £6 million refit at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife , Scotland , in 2007 . On the morning of 26 August 2010 she intercepted the yacht " Tortuga " , smuggling £4 million of cocaine , during the " Gloucester " ' s voyage out to the Falkland Islands , where she was deployed from August 2010 to early 2011 . On 20 September 2010 the government of Uruguay denied " Gloucester " access to Montevideo as a result of the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute . In May 2011 , she took part in Exercise Saxon Warrior . As part of Saxon Warrior ' 11 , on 21 May 2011 , Carrier Strike Group 2 ' s " Truxtun " and " Mitscher " joined the U . S . replenishment tanker and the Spanish frigate " Almirante Juan de Borbón " in conducting a transit exercise , with the British destroyer and frigate acting as hostile forces . This was the final deployment for " Gloucester " prior to its decommissioning . Also , the guided - missile cruiser " Gettysburg " and the British destroyer conducted joint air defense exercises ( " pictured " ) . Decommissioning . " Gloucester " returned to HMNB Portsmouth for the final time on 24 May 2011 and decommissioned on 30 June 2011 , under the command of her last captain , Commander David George . Affiliations . The ship retains links with the Royal Gloucestershire , Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the City of Gloucester . The ship ' s crest features a horseshoe , part of the city ' s Tudor arms .