Text from Ships Of The Royal Navy no. 207
HMS Bristol, which joined the Fleet in December, is the most exciting and most powerful Royal Navy surface ship to glide down a slipway for more than 20 years.

She is deploying for the first time in the Navy a number of advanced weapon systems designed to meet the threat of the foreseeable future.

Parts of the new systems will be fitted in later ships and the Bristol's first commission will be largely devoted to accepting the new weapons into service.

Main armament is the Sea Dart, a new missile with supersonic speed, range and manoeuvrability to cope with any air or missile attack. It can also be used against surface targets.

The ship is also equipped with the Australian-designed Ikara, a radio-controlled anti-submarine missile delivering a homing torpedo, which is also being fitted in selected Leander-class frigates.

The gun armament is a new single-barrel, 4.5in. mounting which can be used for self-defence, anti-aircraft fire, against other ships and for shore bombardment in support of the Army. It is automatic - with no man in the turret - and has a high rate of fire and accuracy.

Command and control facilities are extremely modern. The radar and sonar equipment monitor activity over a wide area and provide basic data required by two Ferranti micro-miniaturized computers.

The Inertial Navigation System - SINS - continuously informs the computers of the ship's geographical position, course, speed, pitch and roll attitude, enabling them to provide and up-to-date visual presentation which ensures the most efficient and accurate employment of the weapons and the control of other ships and aircraft.

To achieve the fast reaction times required, all the weapon systems are fully automatic, but the decision to open fire remains with the captain.

Supporting the weapon systems the ship has the latest communications equipment - ICS2.

Every effort has been made to get the best out of the skilled and highly trained crew of 27 officers and 360 rating by making the Bristol comfortable and easy to run as well as being a powerful fighting unit.

Although she is not the first ship to have bunks, vacuum cleaners, air conditioning, a laundry, a Naafi shop and a modern cafeteria, she is among the first to have her interior décor chosen by a civilian firm of consultants, to have her own sewage plants - which will reduce sea and harbour pollution - and to have her own TV studios and camera.

Built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Ltd. At Wallsend-on-Tyne, the Bristol was laid down in April, 1967 and launched by Lady Hogg two years later.

The ship is spending the early part of 1973 being fitted out with classified equipment unable to be fitted in a civilian shipbuilding yard, and in mid-February begins work-up at Portland.

Later she will sail for Avonmouth, Bristol, for the ceremony on March 31 in which she will become the first ship to commission there.

A strong link has already been forged between the ship and the city and the first radio telephone call made from the ship was from her Commanding Officer (Captain R. D. Macdonald) to the Lord Mayor (Ald. E. Roberts), when messages of goodwill were exchanged.

The ship is also affiliated to the Glorious Gloucesters and members of the ship's company have visited the regiment during exercises in Germany.