HMS Westminster (F237)

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HMS Westminster F237.jpg
HMS Westminster, 2011
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameWestminster
OrderedDecember 1989
Builder Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down18 January 1991
Launched4 February 1992
Commissioned13 May 1994
Out of serviceMay 2024
HomeportPortsmouth
Identification
MottoFor Nation and for Glory
StatusAwaiting scrapping [1]
Badge HMS Westminster badge.svg
General characteristics
Class and type Type 23 frigate
Displacement4,900 t (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons) [2]
Length133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
SpeedIn excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range7,500 nautical miles (14,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × PAC 24 RIBs
Complement185 (accommodation for up to 205)
Sensors and
processing systems		 Sonar 2087
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities

HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992 and named after the Dukedom of Westminster.

Contents

Operational history

1994–2000

In early August 1995, Operation Harlech was initiated in response to a volcanic eruption in Montserrat. The Westminster arrived off the island on 9 August and provided emergency relief aid. The ship was joined by HMS Southampton on 19 August, both ships provided emergency relief assistance until the end of the month. [5]

Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies as three different (fictional) Type 23 frigates – HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford. [6]

On 3 February 1999, Westminster joined the Atlantic Patrol Ship South, relieving HMS Norfolk which was taking part in Operation Basilica in Sierra Leone. When the situation improved it was decided to withdraw Westminster and she sailed from the area on 18 March. [5]

2001–2010

In 2004, Westminster was assigned one of the Royal Navy's first Merlin helicopters. [7] Also in 2004, the ship was the first to be fitted with the new low-frequency Sonar 2087 designed to detect the most advanced submarines. The technology is controversial as its effects on marine wildlife remain unclear. [8]

In December 2005, the ship's company of Westminster were all granted Freedom of the City of Westminster. 200 naval officers and sailors in full ceremonial uniform paraded through the streets of London from Westminster Abbey to Horse Guards as part of the celebration service. Westminster was chosen as a very rare recognition of her contributions to Westminster schools, local charities and the community as a whole. The honour entitles the crew the freedom to "parade through the City on all ceremonial occasions in full panoply and with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed". [9]

The frigate was deployed to Burma in May 2008 to spearhead the British relief effort after Cyclone Nargis devastated the country, but later had to withdraw after the junta refused to grant permission for aid to be landed. [10]

2011–2022

In March 2011, Westminster took part in Operation Ellamy, the British role in the coalition action during the 2011 Libyan civil war by enforcing a naval blockade. [11] She took part in Exercise Saxon Warrior in the Western Approaches with the US aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush in May 2011, culminating in a so-called 'Thursday War'. [12]

On 23 January 2012, Westminster departed Portsmouth to reinforce the British guided-missile destroyer Daring that was also underway for the Persian Gulf to relieve the frigate Argyll. [13]

Whilst in the Persian Gulf she made a port call in Dubai where one of her sailors (Leading Seaman Timothy Andrew MacColl, 27, from Gosport in Hampshire) [14] [15] disappeared, prompting a bilateral search between the Royal Navy and local authorities. He was declared dead by the Royal Navy in May 2014. [16]

In early 2013, she was part of the multi-national Exercise Joint Warrior, practising amphibious operations off the coast of Scotland. [17] In September she was part of the COUGAR 13 task group, for a series of joint exercises in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. [18] She visited Gibraltar on the way to the Middle East. This came amidst growing tensions between Spain and Britain over the status of Gibraltar; however the British Government described the visit as 'routine'. In September 2013, she practised anti-submarine drills with the Italian Navy's Sauro-class submarine Salvatore Pelosi and the Durand de la Penne-class destroyer Francesco Mimbelli. [19] In the Gulf of Oman, Westminster conducted anti-submarine drills against USS Dallas. [20] In October 2013, she exercised with the Indian Navy off Goa. [21]

On 8 September 2014, she docked at East India Dock, by Canary Wharf, in London. In November 2014, Westminster entered extended refit in Portsmouth; she returned to sea in January 2017 with a new principal weapon system, Sea Ceptor, in place of Seawolf, Radar Type 997 and numerous modifications and alterations to her accommodation and working spaces. [22]

Westminster, in company with Iron Duke sailed with USS George H.W. Bush again, as in 2011, by taking part in Exercise Saxon Warrior off Scotland. [23]

During December 2018 on a tour of the Baltic Sea, Westminster experienced problems with her propulsion and engines while visiting the port of Gdynia, curtailing other port visits in the region.

In July 2020, she took part in NATO exercise Dynamic Mongoose.

In September 2022, Westminster fired two Harpoon missiles in Operation Atlantic Thunder 22 in a SinkEx exercise alongside US forces in which the decommissioned US frigate USS Boone was sunk in the North Atlantic. [24] [25]

In 2022, Westminster spent 90 days at sea. [26]

Westminster entered a planned two-year refit in October 2022 with the intent of extending her service life until 2028–29. [27]

2023–present

In May 2023, it was reported that the refit had been suspended due to the poor material condition of the ship, making her future uncertain. [28] [29]

In January 2024, it was reported that Westminster may be decommissioned and the crew reassigned to a future Type 26 frigate. [30] In May 2024, it was indicated that HMS Westminster would be retired and scrapped. [31]

Affiliations

Westminster's ship's bell Westminster bell.JPG
Westminster's ship's bell

Related Research Articles

Type 23 frigate Class of frigates built for the Royal Navy

The Type 23 frigate or Duke class is a class of frigates built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The ships are named after British Dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the Duke class. The first Type 23, HMS Norfolk, was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, HMS St Albans was commissioned in June 2002. They form the core of the Royal Navy's destroyer and frigate fleet and serve alongside the Type 45 destroyers. They were designed for anti-submarine warfare, but have been used for a range of uses. Nine Type 23 frigates remain in service with the Royal Navy, with three vessels having been sold to the Chilean Navy, one being retired in 2021, and three more being retired up to 2024.

HMS <i>Montrose</i> (F236) Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Montrose was the eighth of the sixteen-ship Type 23 or Duke class of frigates, of the Royal Navy, named after the Duke of Montrose. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde, and was launched on 31 July 1992 by Edith Rifkind, wife of Malcolm Rifkind, Secretary of State for Defence. She was commissioned into service in June 1994.

HMS <i>Argyll</i> (F231) 1991 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

The third HMS Argyll was a Type 23 Duke-class frigate. Commissioned in 1991 and prior to her retirement, Argyll was the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. Like all of her class she was 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.

HMS <i>Lancaster</i> (F229) 1992 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Lancaster is a Duke-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 May 1990. The ship is known as "The Queen's Frigate", the Duke of Lancaster being a subsidiary title of the Sovereign. Being the third ship in the Type 23 class, Lancaster was originally allocated the pennant number F232 until it was noted that the 232 is the Royal Navy report form for groundings and collisions and therefore considered unlucky. She is one of the few ships left in the fleet with some female officers but mess decks which are men-only. It is quite common when she has returned from long operations that she is flown over by the Avro Lancaster bomber which is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby.

HMS <i>Iron Duke</i> (F234) 1993 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Iron Duke is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the third ship to bear the name.

HMS <i>Monmouth</i> (F235) 1993 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Monmouth was the sixth "Duke"-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was the seventh ship to bear the name and was launched by Lady Eaton in 1991, being commissioned two years later.

HMS <i>Northumberland</i> (F238) 1994 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Northumberland is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is named after the Duke of Northumberland. She is the eighth RN ship to bear the name since the first 70-gun ship of the line in 1679, and the ninth in the class of Type 23 frigates. She is based at Devonport and is part of the Devonport Flotilla.

HMS <i>Richmond</i> (F239) 1995 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Richmond is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 6 April 1993 by Lady Hill-Norton, wife of the late Admiral of the Fleet The Lord Hill-Norton, and was the last warship to be built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders. She sailed from the builders on the River Tyne in November 1994. She is named for the Dukedom of Richmond.

HMS <i>Somerset</i> (F82) 1996 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Somerset is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the eleventh ship of the class to join the fleet since 1989. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd on the River Clyde, in Scotland and was launched in June 1994 by Lady Elspeth Layard, wife of then 2nd Sea Lord Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command Admiral Sir Michael Layard. She entered service in 1996. Lady Layard is the ship's sponsor. She is named after the Dukedom of Somerset.

HMS <i>Sutherland</i> (F81) 1997 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the thirteenth ship in the Duke class of frigates and is the third ship to bear the name, more than 200 years since the name was last used.

HMS <i>Kent</i> (F78) 2000 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Portland</i> (F79) 2001 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>St Albans</i> (F83) 2002 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy


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References

  1. ↑ Allison, George (14 May 2024). "Two Royal Navy frigates to be retired". UK Defence Journal. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Type 23 Frigate". Royal Navy. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Royal Navy unveiled Sea Ceptor and launched first user group at DSEI 2017".
  4. ↑ "Contenders for the Royal Navy's interim anti-ship missile requirement | Navy Lookout". 26 August 2021.
  5. 1 2 Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1591148128.
  6. ↑ "Multi-role frigate". Navy News . April 1997. p. 9. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "Last Merlin squadron commissioned". BBC News. 21 October 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "New sonar protection for warships". BBC News. 24 November 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "HMS Westminster crew granted Freedom of the City". Westminster City Council . Archived from the original on 12 November 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  10. ↑ Royal Navy [ dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Royal Navy Blockade Forces Gaddafi's Gunboats off the Ocean". Navy News . 26 March 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2017.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Torbay 'targets' worlds most powerful carrier". Navy News.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ Blair, David (23 January 2011). "Britain, US and France send warships through Strait of Hormuz". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "Britain's Royal Navy says sailor from HMS Westminster missing in Dubai". The Washington Post . 1 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  15. ↑ "British sailor Timmy MacColl missing in Dubai". BBC News. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Wife's heartache as missing Gosport sailor Timmy MacColl is declared dead". The News . 26 May 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "Successful conclusion for multinational exercise". Royal Navy. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Ministry of Defence (8 August 2013). "Royal Navy set for Cougar 13". Gov.uk . Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "HMS Westminster practises submarine hunting skills". Royal Navy. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "HMS Westminster in hunt for USS Dallas". Royal Navy. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "Indo-UK bilateral naval exercises to be undertaken". The Goan. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "'Capital' ship makes first trip as Westminster returns to sea after refit". Navy News. 27 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  23. ↑ "Portsmouth hosts US carrier strike group ahead of major exercise". Royal Navy. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  24. ↑ "Royal Navy and US Navy Conduct Sinkex". navalnews.com. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "U.K and U.S conduct SINKEX during Atlantic Thunder 22". navy.mil. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  26. ↑ Allison, George (1 June 2023). "Data reveals number of days warships spent at sea last year". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "HMS Westminster refit suspended and her return to service in doubt". Navy Lookout. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  28. ↑ "HMS Westminster refit suspended and her return to service in doubt". Navy Lookout. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  29. ↑ "Snapshot: The Royal Navy escort fleet in April 2024". Navy Lookout. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  30. ↑ Sheridan, Danielle (4 January 2024). "Navy has so few sailors it has to decommission ships". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  31. ↑ Allison, George (14 May 2024). "Two Royal Navy frigates to be retired". UK Defence Journal. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "HMS Westminster affiliations". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  33. ↑ "The Navy comes to Westminster". tube.tfl.gov.uk. 23 July 2003. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
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