HMS AMAZON (F169)

HMS Amazon
Career	RN Ensign
Ordered:
Laid down:	6 November 1969
Launched:	26 April 1971
Commissioned:	11 May 1974
Decommissioned:	30 September 1993
Fate:	Sold to Pakistan on 30 September 1993.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	3,250 tons full load
Length:	384 ft (117 m)
Beam:	41 ft 9 in (12.7 m)
Draught:	19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
Propulsion:	Two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines, plus two Rolls-Royce RM1A Tyne gas turbines for cruising
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range:	4,000 nautical miles at 17 knots (7,400 km at 31 km/h), 1,200 nautical miles at 30 knots (2,220 km at 56 km/h)
Complement:	177
Armament:	One Mk8 4.5 inch (114 mm) gun Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns Four SeaCat SAMs Two Corvus chaff launchers One Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft:	One Westland Wasp when built, refitted later for one Westland Lynx
Motto:	''Audaciter'' (Boldly)

'HMS ''Amazon'' (F169)' was the first Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. The ship suffered a fire in the Far East in 1977, drawing attention to the risk of building warships with aluminium superstructure.
''Amazon'' was the only unit of her class to not participate in the Falklands War, as she was in the Persian Gulf at the time.
By the mid-1980s the surviving Type 21s were suffering cracking in the hull and so she was taken in for refitting, with a steel plate being welded down each side of the ship. At the same time modifications were made to reduce hull noise. Four Exocet launchers were also fitted in 'B' position, the last of the class to be so fitted.
''Amazon'' decommissioned and was sold to Pakistan on 30 September 1993, being renamed ''Babur''. Exocet was not transferred to Pakistan and ''Babur'' had her obsolete Sea Cat launcher removed. A Chinese LY 60N missile launcher was fitted in place of the Exocet launchers. Signaal DA08 air search radar replaced the Type 992 and SRBOC chaff launchers and 20mm and 30mm guns were fitted.
''Babur'' remains in service with the Pakistani Navy.
See HMS ''Amazon'' for other ships of the same name.