Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 24. Chapters: HMS Argyll (F231), HMS Grafton (F80), HMS Iron Duke (F234), HMS Kent (F78), HMS Lancaster (F229), HMS Marlborough (F233), HMS Monmouth (F235), HMS Montrose (F236), HMS Norfolk (F230), HMS Northumberland (F238), HMS Portland (F79), HMS Richmond (F239), HMS Somerset (F82), HMS St Albans (F83), HMS Sutherland (F81), HMS Westminster (F237). Excerpt: HMS Kent is a Type 23 Duke class frigate of the British Royal Navy, and the twelfth ship to bear the name. Kent's lineage boasts sixteen Battle Honours from the three given to the first Kent of 46 guns built in 1653, to the five awarded to the ninth and tenth Kents of World War I and World War II. Sponsored by Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, Kent was launched on 28 May 1998. Built by BAE Systems Marine (formerly Marconi Marine) at Scotstoun in Scotland, she was commissioned on 8 June 2000 and was the first ship to enter Royal Navy service in the 21st Century. In May 2012 she was located at anchor behind Plymouth Breakwater. March 2002 saw Kent return from the Persian Gulf after a five-month record-breaking mission under Commander John Clink. Kent seized more than £4 million of oil and illegal cargo: a record for the time. This mission also included the boarding of MV Ismael, a vessel which strayed in and out of Iranian waters to avoid capture - waters which the Kent knew they were forbidden to enter. 16 January 2006 saw Kent deploy on a 28-day training mission, under Commander Gavin Pritchard, to gunnery drills and firing off Gibraltar. This course was for the benefit of students on the Principal Warfare Officer course. This deployment included a two day visit to Tunisia and a three-day visit to Barcelona. March 2006 saw Football Association Chief Executive Brian Barwick visit Kent to show him around a modern Type 23 frigate. Mr Barwick was a guest at the RN vs. RAF football match at Havant, the tour around Kent was a pre-match treat for the FA chief. Kent in StockholmOn 12 June 2006 Kent started a six-month deployment to Gibraltar, Malta and the Suez canal. Saturday 16 June saw the traditional Gibraltar Rock race, this time Leading Chef Paddy Crawford won the race in a time of 24 minutes. Games of 'Bucket ball' and tug-of-war were additional sports the crew engaged in. Kent then sailed to the Suez Canal, where the crew took part in the traditional race-aga