HMS Richmond (F239)
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| Missing image HMS_Richmond_F239_(Type_23_class_frigate).jpg HMS Richmond | |
| Career | 
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|---|---|
| Ordered: | December 1989 |
| Laid down: | 16 February 1992 |
| Launched: | 6 April 1993 |
| Commissioned: | 22 June 1995 |
| Decommissioned: | |
| Fate: | Template:Active in service |
| Struck: | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,900 tonnes |
| Length: | 133 m (463 ft) |
| Beam: | 16.1 m (52.9 ft) |
| Draught: | 7.3 m |
| Propulsion: | CODLAG (Combined Diesel eLectric And Gas) 2 Rolls Royce spey boost gas-turbines 4 GEC Paxman-Valenta diesel engines 2 GEC electric motors |
| Speed: | 28 knots, 15 knots on diesel-electric |
| Range: | 7,800 miles at 15 knots |
| Complement: | 185 |
| Armament: | Two quad Harpoon launchers Vertical launch system Sea Wolf missiles 4.5 inch (110 mm) Mk 8 gun Two 30 mm guns Two magazine launched anti-submarine torpedo tubes NATO Seagnat and DFL3 decoy launchers |
| Aircraft: | Lynx HMA8 |
| Motto: | |
HMS Richmond (F239) is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was launched on the on 6 April 1993 by Lady Hill-Norton, and Richmond was the last (as of 2004) ship to be built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders.
Richmond commenced her first deployment in 1997 when she deployed to the Far East as part of the 'Ocean Wave 97' Task Group. The ship visited numerous ports but one of the most interesting was a visit to the Russian port of Vladivostok, an important Russian naval base. The visit was noteworthy due to the fact that it was the first visit by a Royal Navy vessel in over 100 years. Also that year Richmond escorted the royal yacht HMY Britannia on the ship's final leg of her final tour of the United Kingdom prior to the decommissioning of Britannia.
In 1998 Richmond participated in two significant NATO naval exercises and subsequently arrived in Ney York where she was involved in the US Navy Fleet Week. The following year Richmond was dispatched to the South Atlantic as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (South) and later underwent a major overhaul which concluded in 2000 and Richmond duly rejoined the Fleet. The following year Richmond joined the NATO multi-national squadron Standing Naval Force Mediterranean. In 2002 she arrived in the Caribbean where she performed numerous tasks including the obligatory "fly-the-flag" duties to the Commonwealth countries in the region as-well as undergoing trials.
In 2003 she, under the command of Commander Wayne Keble, deployed to the Persian Gulf on Armilla Patrol where Richmond relieved HMS Cardiff in that region. She had arrived shortly before the commencement of the 2003 Iraq War. Upon the beginning of hostilities, Richmond and HM ships Chatham and Marlborough and HMAS Anzac of the Royal Australian Navy provided Naval Gunfire Support (NGS) during the Royal Marines amphibious assault of the Al Faw Peninsula, the first amphibious assault by the Marines since the Falklands War in 1982. Richmond remained in the region upon the conclusion of the war and returned home in August.
In July 2004 Richmond, commanded by Commander Mike McCartain, deployed on Atlantic Patrol Task (North) which encompasses the Atlantic and Caribbean regions. She visited numerous ports early on in the deployment, including Jamaica and Belize. In September Richmond came to the assistance of the Turks and Caicos Islands when the region was struck by Hurricane Frances though fortunately the Turks and Caicos Islands suffered only minimal damage to buildings. Richmond subsequently sailed to Curacao, Netherlands Antilles where she resumed her maintenance period which had been interrupted due to Hurricane Frances though did remain on standby to provide assistance due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Ivan.
Hurricane Ivan eventually hit the region, causing significant damage and fatalities, particularly inflicting enormous damage and unfortunately a number of fatalities to Grenada, which included immense damage to the capital St. George's. Richmond and her accompanying Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Wave Ruler came to the assistance of the island. The extent of the damage in Grenada reached such levels that the Prime Minister of Grenada Keith Mitchell was forced to relocate to Richmond after his residence was destroyed by the hurricane. The Prime Minister effectively ran his country from Richmond for several hours. Richmond is intended to return home from her deployment in December.
HMS Richmond, its crew having performed vital assistance on land at Grenada, steamed at her top speed for Jamaica to assist that country from the ravages of Hurricane Ivan. She is expected to reach Jamaica by Sunday 12 September.
See HMS Richmond for other ships of the same name.
| Type 23 frigate |
| Norfolk | Argyll | Lancaster | Marlborough | Iron Duke | Monmouth | Montrose | Westminster | Northumberland | Richmond | Somerset | Grafton | Sutherland | Kent | Portland | St Albans |
| List of frigates of the Royal Navy |