TYPE 22 FRIGATE

The 'Type 22 ''Broadsword''' class is a class of frigate built for the Royal Navy. Fourteen of the class were built in total, with production divided into three batches. Four Batch 3 ships remain in service with the Royal Navy and seven have been sold for further service with Brazil, Romania and Chile. Of the remainder, two have been sunk as targets and the other sold for scrapping.

Contents

Design

Ships

References

Design

The Type 22 was designed to be a specialist anti-submarine warfare vessel as part of the Royal Navy's contribution to NATO. Since then they have evolved into a general purpose frigate with weapons for use against other surface ships, aircraft and submarines. They were built in three batches giving rise to three sub-classes, the first ''Broadsword'' of four ships, the second ''Boxer'' of six ships and the third and final, ''Cornwall'' of four ships.
The four ''Broadsword''s (which included two Falklands War veterans) were sold to Brazil in the mid 1990s. Romania has acquired and modernized two of the Batch 2 ships, while a third was purchased by Chile.
The ships have enhanced command, control and co-ordination facilities that results in their often being used as deployment flagships.^[1]

Ships

Name	Pennant	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Home port	Status
Royal Navy
Batch 1 - ''Broadsword''
''Broadsword''	F88	Yarrow (Shipbuilders) Limited, Scotstoun	May 12 1976	May 3 1979		Sold to Brazil
''Battleaxe''	F89	YSL	May 18 1977	March 28 1980		Sold to Brazil
''Brilliant''	F90	YSL	December 15 1978	May 15 1981		Sold to Brazil
''Brazen''	F91	YSL	March 4 1980	July 2 1982		Sold to Brazil
Batch 2 - ''Boxer''
''Boxer''	F92	YSL	[17 June]] 1981	January 14 1984		Sunk as Target
''Beaver''	F93	YSL	May 8 1982	December 18 1984		Sold for Scrap
''Brave''	F94	YSL	November 19 1983	July 4 1986		Sunk as Target
''London''	F95	YSL	October 27 1984	June 5 1987		Sold to Romania
''Sheffield''	F96	Swan Hunter, Wallsend-on-Tyne	March 26 1986	July 26 1988		Sold to Chile
''Coventry''	F98	Swan Hunter	April 8 1986	October 14 1988		Sold to Romania
Batch 3 - ''Cornwall''
''Cornwall''	F99	YSL	October 14 1985	April 23 1988	Devonport	Active
''Cumberland''	F85	YSL	June 21 1986	June 10 1989	Devonport	Active
''Campbeltown''	F86	Cammel Laird, Birkenhead	October 7 1987	May 27 1989	Devonport	Active
''Chatham''	F87	Swan Hunter	January 20 1988	May 4 1990	Devonport	Active

References

1. ''Frigate with formidable firepower'', BBC News