HMS BRILLIANT (F90)

HMS Brilliant F90
Career	RN Ensign / Brazilian Naval Ensign
Ordered:
Laid down:	25 March 1977
Launched:	15 December 1978
Commissioned:	15 May 1981
Decommissioned:	1996
Fate:	Sold to Brazil 31 August 1996.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	5300 t
Length:	148.1 m
Beam:	14.8 m
Draught:
Propulsion:
Speed:	33 km/h cruise, 56 km/h sprint
Range:
Complement:	250
Armament:	2 x 6 GWS25 Seawolf SAM Launchers, 4 x 1 Exocet SSM Launchers, 2 x 40mm Bofors AA guns
Aircraft:	Lynx MK 8 helicopter
Motto:

'HMS ''Brilliant'' (F90)' was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy.
She was part of the Task Force that took part in the Falklands War. There, her two helicopters were involved in attacking the Argentine submarine ''Santa Fe''. She was the first Royal Navy warship to fire the Seawolf missile in anger when, on 12 May 1982, she shot down three A-4 Skyhawks. On 21 May HMS Brilliant came under Argentine air attack outside San Carlos Water and was slightly damaged by cannon fire. On May 23, she joined HMS Yarmouth in the chase of the Argentinian supply ship ''Monsunen''. She rescued 24 survivors from ''Atlantic Conveyor'' on 25 May.
''Brilliant'' starred in a BBC documentary series called ''HMS Brilliant'' in the early 1990s. She decommissioned in 1996 and was sold to the Brazilian Navy on 31 August 1996 and renamed ''Dodsworth''.
The silhouette of HMS Brilliant is to be found, along with the date May 21, painted on the side of Argentine Air Force IAI Finger serial number C-412. Also painted on C-412 is the silhouette of HMS ''Arrow'' and the date May 1. These kill markings (without crossing) has to do with the damage both ships suffered in the Falklands War, HMS ''Arrow'' being slightly damaged by cannon fire May 1 1982 and HMS ''Brilliant'' also being slightly damaged by cannon fire, this on May 21. ''Fingers'' markings were spotted was during the November 2005 multi-national Exercise Ceibo in Argentina but was painted soon after the War and as of 2007 there are still there.

Contents

References

External links

References

★ AirForces Monthly Magazine February 2006, page 61.

External links

★ British Ships lost and damaged 1st May - 12th June 1982

★ F47 ''Dodsworth'' (portuguese only)