Royal Navy ‘workhorse’ is back in action again
ONE of the Royal Navy’s most versatile warships is finally back in action, after a major refit at Devonport Naval Base.
HMS Iron Duke is the latest Royal Navy frigate to near the end of its refit and rejoin the fleet.
The warship has been moved from Devonport’s landmark Frigate Support Complex into the neighbouring Number Two basin. The second oldest of the Duke Class, the namesake HMS Iron Duke has, over a longer than usual period due to the pandemic and her age, become more a new ship than old, with more new steel being fitted to the ship than any other previous Type 23 refit.
Prior to her refit, which began three years ago, she had been operating with a ‘skeleton crew’ as a harbour training ship in her usual home of Portsmouth. At one stage, it seemed that she would not receive her life extension refit and would be retired. However, in 2019, to ensure availability of escorts for the Fleet, it was decided that she would be restored and upgraded, so she was moved to Plymouth and entered the refit complex.
The Royal Navy has said that four Type 23s are currently in various stages of its capability sustainment and improvement project, a massive joint undertaking by the Royal Navy and defence firm Babcock to add an extra decade’s life to the workhorses of the Fleet. Beginning with HMS Montrose back in 2014, the programme is reaching its climax, helping to allow the 23s to serve until their successors – Type 26 and Type 31 frigates – enter service.
Although some changes and improvements – such as installing the Sea Ceptor air defence missile system – are pretty much identical across the flotilla, other work, including strengthening the hulls, improvements to living spaces and general maintenance, depends on the state and age of the ship.
The class traces its history back to the late 1970s and was designed in the early 1980s – taking into account the lessons of the Falklands conflict – with the oldest frigate still in Royal Navy service, HMS Argyll, 30 years old in May last year and the youngest, HMS St Albans, 18 years old – the original lifespan planned for the 23s. The latter is in the ‘sheds’, roughly one third of the way through her life extension, as is HMS Sutherland, both soon to be joined by their older sister, HMS Argyll, once HMS Iron Duke makes room.
Commander Jim Ellis, from the Surface Flotilla’s Devonport Refit Support Programme, said: “The capability sustainment for the Type 23s is putting a lot more modern technology on to the platforms. It’s upgrading their equipment and the fabric of the ship as well. It’s improving their life span, so basically putting the teeth and the legs back into the Type 23s, to bridge the gap until the Type 26 enters service from 2025 onwards.”
Work in the frigate shed has continued throughout the pandemic, but Babcock has revealed it has found new ways of operating inside the cramped confines of a frigate while keeping staff safe.
Mark Tiddy, delivery director of Babcock’s marine support business, said: “The team has focused on ensuring we deliver HMS Iron Duke back to the fleet in first-class condition.
“It has been a real team effort, with the vessel receiving significant restoration and upgrades with exceptional engineering support. The mitigations that we put in place ensured that safety was always the number one priority – we’ve enjoyed the challenge.
“We’re all looking forward to supporting the frigate in her final phase of life extension and are really proud of all that has been achieved.”
HMS Lancaster was returned to the Fleet at the end of 2019, followed shortly afterwards by HMS Richmond. HMS Portland has similarly been handed back to the Royal Navy, and HMS Somerset is near the end of her final fit-out and will very shortly do the same.