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Type 42 Destroyers
HMS Exeter - Decommissioned in May 2009
Former WO1(GSM) Peter Padley MBE
Type 42 Destroyers
The Type 42, Sheffield Class Guided Missile Destroyer, is the only ship of its kind available for use by the Royal Navy. Designed in the late 1960’s their primary task was to provide the fleet with an area air defence capability as well as being capable of effectively engage surface targets and being able to operate independently.
A total of 14 Type 42’s were constructed of which only eight are still in service. 2 ships, HMS’s Sheffield and Coventry, were sunk during the Falklands Conflict, 3 are awaiting disposal, HMS’s Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff with HMS Birmingham having already been sold for scrap. The remaining 8 Type 42’s are scheduled for replacement by 2014. The Type 42’s are to be replaced by 6 new Type 45 Daring Class Destroyers, the first of which, HMS Daring, is expected to be commissioned in July 2009.
Type 42’s have always been considered to be small for their role with Batches 1 & 2 weighing approximately 4,350 tons and Batch 3 5,350 tons, this compared to the new Daring Class Destroyers with a displacement of 7 to 8,000 tons depending on loading.
Type 42 destroyers are powered by a Combined Gas or Gas (COGOG) propulsion system with 2 Rolls Royce Olympus High Speed Gas Turbines capable of producing a speed of 30 knots and 2 Rolls Royce Tyne Cruise Gas Turbines capable of producing 18 knots.
The ships are fitted with surveillance, fire control, navigation radar systems and sonar systems for search and bottom profiling. These systems allow effective use of the weapons fitted into the Type 42 Destroyer.
Offensive armament systems include twin Sea Dart Missile Launchers, anti-submarine torpedo systems, 2 × 20mm Phalanx Close in Weapons Systems (CIWS), 2 x Oerlikon 20mm l/70 KBA guns and 4.5” Mark 8 Naval Gun. Type 42 Destroyers also carry a multi role Westland Lynx helicopter capable of deploying missiles and torpedoes as well as Royal Marine Roping Parties for boarding ships for search purposes.
The following Type 42 Destroyers are on the Royal Navy’s inventory:
HMS Edinburgh
HMS Gloucester
HMS Liverpool
HMS Manchester
HMS York
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Destroyers
Type 45 Destroyers
