Built by the Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun on the Clyde, near Glasgow as a type 23 Duke Class frigate for the Royal Navy. The order was placed on 19 August 1986.
20 March 1987 laid down.
08 April 1989 launched under the name ARGYLL (F231), the launching ceremony was performed by Lady Wendy Levene. She is the third vessel in the Royal Navy to carry the name ARGYLL.
Displacement 3.500 standard, 4.200 full load. Dim. 133 x 16.1 x 5.5m.
Powered by 4 cruise diesels, to two GEC electric motors 4.000 shp, speed 15 knots. Two SMIA Rolls-Royce Spey boost gas turbines 52.300 shp, speed 28 knots, two shafts.
Armament 2 x Quad Harpoon Missile launchers. Seawolf missiles are placed in a rack of 32 canisters just forward of the bridge and used for incoming enemy aircraft or missiles. Vickers Mk 8 4.5 inch gun, which can hit targets 12 miles away.
She has a aft helicopter deck, with hangar and hauldown system, when she carried the MK 8 Lynk helicopter, then air-launched Sea Skua anti-ship missiles are also available.
Crew 180.
She is a multipurpose frigate and of moderately stealthy design, the first class designed in this way for the Royal Navy.
She was used when British forces were deployed off Sierra Leone in May 2000, and she played an important part in the release of the British Army patrol taken hostage by rebels.
She remained off Sierra Leone as West African Guardship till relieved by the HMS IRON DUKE, 5 months later.
August 2000 she rescued a total of 58 people and six cows from drowning.
24 March 2001 she got a small fire in her forward electrical switchboard, what was quickly extinguished by there own crew, at that time she was together with French, German, Polish and Italian ships on exercise in the Gulf of Biscay. She returned to Devonport for repair.
End 2009 still in use by the Royal Navy.
More info on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Argyll_(F231)
Source: http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/rn/print.php3?page=448 http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Today/type23.htm http://www.navynews.co.uk/ships/type23.asp
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/1017.html http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2000 ... 100603.htm
http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2001 ... 040202.htm