Den Helder, Netherlands 1 July 2011
Her building was ordered in February 1996, and her keel was laid down at the shipyard of Marconi on 14 January 1998 and a year later was she launched on 15 May while being sponsored by Lady Heather Brigstocke, accepted by the British Royal Navy on 15 December 2000 following her commissioning on 3 May 2001. A type 23 frigate with a standard displacement of 4.900 tonnes and as dimensions 133 x 16,1 x 7,3 metres or 436’4”x 52’10”x 23’9”. Speed 28 knots and with a speed of 15 knots a range of 9.000 nautical miles. Her crew numbers 185 men. The armament included 1-4.5” gun, 4-3cm guns,2 mini guns, 4 machine guns and 32 cell Sea-Wolf air defence missiles, 2xquadruple harpoon launchers and 2x2-32,4cm torpedo tubes.
