HMS Argyll

## HMS Argyll (F231)

HMS Argyll

The third and current **HMS *Argyll*** is a Type 23 Duke-class frigate. She is currently the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. Like all of her class she is named after a British dukedom, in this case that of Argyll. HMS *Argyll* was laid down in March 1987 by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Glasgow, and launched in 1989 by Lady Wendy Levene, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors. She was commissioned in May 1991. *Argyll* is currently based at HMNB Devonport.

*Argyll* is the first Type 23 to be fitted with the new Sea Ceptor missile system. The ship, like her sisters HMS Monmouth, HMS Montrose, HMS Lancaster and HMS Iron Duke, did not receive the new Sonar 2087 upgrade that other frigates of the class subsequently received. Therefore she is regarded as a "general purpose" frigate without the more specialized anti-submarine capability of the other eight ships in the Type 23 fleet.

She had been scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2023. However, in 2021 in a written answer provided to the House of Commons Select Defence Committee, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, suggested that older Type 23 frigates would be retained in service longer than anticipated in order to ensure that total escort numbers did not fall below 17 ships (6 destroyers and 11 frigates) and start to rise above 19 escorts starting in 2026. If confirmed, this would mean that the older Type 23 frigates, such as *Argyll*, would have their anticipated service lives extended significantly. In May 2022 she entered dry dock for an 18-month refit with the intent of extending her service life until about 2027-28.

### Operational History

On 26 March 1994, *Argyll's* Lynx helicopter crashed into the sea off Andros Island in the West Indies while practising for an air display. The crew escaped and were rescued but the aircraft was unrecoverable after sinking in 5,000ft of water.

In 2000, *Argyll* was part of the Royal Navy task force – Task Group 342.01 – comprising *Illustrious*, *Ocean*, *Iron Duke*, *Chatham*, and four RFA ships – that deployed to Sierra Leone as part of the British military intervention in the Sierra Leone civil war. During those operations, *Argyll* acted as the West African Guardship and remained off West Africa until September 2000. Throughout this period *Argyll* operated with her Lynx HMA Mk 8 helicopter. The Lynx undertook daily patrols and searches. The Lynx was instrumental to the successful completion of Operation Barras. During her deployment, the helicopter was scrambled to search for a missing passenger ferry. The aircraft's crew quickly located the vessel and provided escort for *Argyll*. *Argyll* saved fifty-eight lives from drowning. She was relieved by her sister-ship *Iron Duke* in September. During this incident *Argyll*, assisted by HMS *Ocean*, laid the foundation for the Iron Duke Community School. This is a school for orphans in Freetown. President Kabbah of Sierra Leone decreed the school be named after the crew of *Iron Duke* for completing the construction of the six classrooms.

In 2001, while in the Bay of Biscay, *Argyll* suffered an electrical fire that was quickly put out by the ship's damage control team, with the ship suffering only minimal damage.

*Argyll* completed a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf protecting two oil platforms, working with the American, Australian and Iraqi Navies from February to August 2005. The ship made a short visit to Boulogne, then to its home port of Inveraray and finally to Liverpool, before undergoing Operational Sea Trials. *Argyll* successfully completed Operational Sea Training and acted as a contingency platform whilst the Queen spent a week sailing on the *Hebridean Princess* in July 2006.

In September 2006 *Argyll* was deployed along with other ships such as *Ocean* and *Albion* where she completed two drugs raids on merchant ships totalling £50 million. They completed their operation in November of the same year.

In October 2007 *Argyll* returned to the Persian Gulf to take over from her sister-ship, *Richmond*.

Thursday 3 April 2008 saw more than 500 friends and relatives welcome HMS *Argyll* as she returned to her home at Devonport after a deployment lasting six months in the Northern Persian Gulf. This was *Argyll*'s second Gulf deployment to Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in three years. This deployment included one patrol which lasted 52 days from January to March 2008. HMS *Argyll* was also at the 'Meet Your Navy' exhibition at HMNB Portsmouth 2008.

6 May 2008 saw the crew return to *Argyll*, with the crew bidding their commanding officer of seven months, Commander Gavin Pritchard, a fond farewell. Pritchard was succeeded by Commander Peter Olive. *Argyll* was then to engage in a period of trials and training before entering a period of maintenance in June.

11 May 2008 saw the Trans-Atlantic solo yacht race in Plymouth Sound started by the ceremonial cannon aboard *Argyll*. Dame Ellen MacArthur also attended the start of the race and Rear Admiral Richard Ibbotson, head of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation, was also on board *Argyll*.

On 21 July 2008 *Argyll* led the parade of tall ships out of Liverpool ahead of the Tall Ships Race starting 23 July.

On 18 February 2009, *Argyll* sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson, She was joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock *Bulwark*, as Hudson's flagship, Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) *Ocean*, Type 23 frigate *Somerset* and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. *Argyll* returned to Devonport on 17 April from this deployment.

In early October 2010, *Argyll* and her crew arrived in Plymouth last week after an 11-month refit which included 290,000-man-hours spent on modifications, upgrades and improvements." She has received a new command system, upgrades to Sea Wolf, the Mod1 4.5-inch (114mm) gun, and mounts for new small calibre guns. She was also given new boat-launching equipment. "The refit included the replacing of two of the vessel's four diesel generators and one of her gas turbine engines." Her ventilation system has been improved. "Along with fresh paint on the upper decks she has been coated below the waterline with a special paint to prevent the build-up of sea life which would slow the ship. This also makes her more fuel-efficient." HMS *Argyll* was the first Type 23 frigate to undergo a second major refit.

On Sunday 22 January 2012 it was announced that *Argyll* was part of a six-ship convoy which sailed through the Strait of Hormuz alongside French and United States Navy vessels, during a diplomatic dispute with Iran. In a period after this she engaged in Exercise 'Goalkeeper' whilst still in the Middle East.

On 30 June 2012, Armed Forces Day, she fired the salute in Plymouth as part of a steampast alongside RFA *Mounts Bay*, the Earl of Wessex was in attendance alongside the First Sea Lord.

In 2013, she served a seven-month deployment to the Atlantic, having visited South Africa. She also engaged in counter-narcotics work in the Eastern Pacific by travelling around Cape Horn and headed back to her home port via the Panama Canal.

In March 2014, she accidentally fired a test (unarmed) torpedo whilst training at Devonport, there were no injuries and minimal damage.

On 30 June 2014, she arrived in Hamilton, Bermuda for a three-day visit as part of her deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean.

She arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, US on 11 September 2014 to participate in ceremonies commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.

On Thursday 25 September 2014, she arrived in Veracruz.

On 6 October 2014, HMS *Argyll* visited George Town, Grand Cayman, after having been on counter-narcotics deployment in August 2014 as part of Operation Martillo. From 9 to 13 October 2014 HMS *Argyll* paid an official visit to the Dominican Republic during the course of which her flight deck hosted the baptism of Stefania Rozsa, daughter of the British Ambassador. On 18 October 2014, she arrived in Bermuda to provide assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo.

In 2014, a Lynx from *Argyll* identified a suspicious yacht in the Caribbean Sea, and a detachment of the U.S. Coast Guard operating from *Argyll* seized $16 million worth of cocaine found on the yacht. The group had seized an even larger shipment earlier on the same deployment.

In 2015, *Argyll* underwent an extended Life Extension (LIFEX) refit in Devonport; she returned to sea in February 2017 with a new principal weapon system, Sea Ceptor, and numerous modifications and alterations to her accommodation and working spaces. *Argyll* acted as the trials vessel for Sea Ceptor prior to resuming her operational duties and it was announced in September 2017 that she had undertaken the first firings of the new system earlier in the summer off the west coast of Scotland.

In 2017, it was announced that *Argyll* would be sent to join military exercises in the Asia Pacific with the Five Power Defence Arrangements partners and also the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. Part of her mission is "to continue the pressure campaign on North Korea".

On 11 March 2019, *Argyll* rescued a 27-strong crew from a burning container vessel Grande America 150 miles off the coast of France.

On 15 March 2019 the ship returned to HMNB Devonport after a nine-month deployment to Southeast Asia.

On 11 September 2019 it demonstrated the use of an autonomous PAC24 unmanned surface vehicle, a modified version of the boat the ship already carries, at the Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 exhibition. Also involved in the demonstration was an additional autonomous boat: the MAST-13.

In May 2022, *Argyll* became the first Type 23 to have undergone a LIFEX refit to undergo a subsequent major upkeep period, which saw the ship dry-docked for an extended period to enable it to be retained in service until around 2027-28, when it is intended to be replaced by either HMS *Glasgow* or HMS *Venturer*.

In 2022, *Argyll* spent 21 days at sea.