HMS LONDON (D16)

Career	RN Ensign
Ordered:
Laid down:	26 February 1960
Launched:	7 December
Commissioned:	4 November
Decommissioned:	.
Fate:	Sold to Pakistan on 24 March
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:
Length:
Beam:	53 ft
Draught:
Propulsion:	COSAG (Combination of Steam and Gas) turbines, 2 shafts
Speed:
Range:
Complement:
Armament:	2 turrets with 4.5" twin barrels. 2 x Seacat launchers, 1 x Sea_Slug_missile Long Range Surface to Air missile system.
Aircraft:	one Lynx or Wessex
Motto:

'HMS ''London'' (D16)' was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She commissioned in Swan Hunter's yard in Wallsend in 1963 under Captain JC Bartosik and initially was fully employed setting her armament to work, successfully firing her Seaslug for the first time off Aberporth in April 1964. After workup during which she entertained HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on board, in September 1964 she crossed the Atlantic to visit Bermuda and Houston before joining a special squadron led by Vice Admiral Sir Fitzroy Talbot on a round of visits to the South American part of his command. Passing through Panama she visited Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil before proceeding via Tristan da Cunha to Simonstown where she spent Christmas and New Year. She then deployed to the Far East, visiting Hong Kong, Bangkok and Subic, and Singapore and ports in Malaya. During this time she was part of a powerful fleet whose presence acted as a deterrent to Sukarno's attempt to intimidate the infant Federation of Malaysia through 'Confrontation'.
''London'' was and was sold to Pakistan on 23 March 1982 and renamed ''Babur''. ''Babur'' decommissioned from Pakistani service in and was sold for scrap in 1995.
Last ship to leave Malta when the Maltese government closed the base. Last RN ship capable of firing Mark 1 Seaslug missiles. Last ship in Royal Navy to fire a four-gun broadside.

Contents

See also

See also

★ HMS ''London'' for other ships of the same name.

★ List of ship launches in 1961

★ List of ship commissionings in 1963

★ List of ship commissionings in 1982

★ List of ship decommissionings in 1980

★ List of ship decommissionings in 1993