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She’s A Capital Ship Cardiff
Aptly named “workhorses of the Fleet”, HMS Cardiff
and her sister Type 42 destroyers form the backbone of the
Royal Navy’s anti-air warfare forces and are also equipped
to deal effectively with surface and submarine targets. They
are powerful, cost-effective platforms for the Senior Service’s
latest weapon systems.
Since returning from the Gulf War in 1991 Cardiff’s
deployments have included counter-narcotics patrols in the
West Indies – during which period she also assisted
the relief task on the island of Eleuthera in the wake of
Hurricane Andrew – and a stint with the Standing Naval
Force Mediterranean.
A short period in home waters for maintenance and intensive
sea training followed before Cardiff returned to the Gulf
for seven months.
She and HMS Cornwall conducted joint patrol operations in
the Northern Arabian Gulf with allied navies and this overt
naval presence helped the swift resolution of a period of
heightened tension between Iraq and Kuwait.
Upon her return to the UK Cardiff underwent a further period
of maintenance before embarking on a busy programme of exercises
and training. As a participant in a three-week long NATO
exercise, Strong Resolve, in Norway she operated in close
co-operation with ships from the United States, Canada, Holland,
Spain and Norway.
Operational sea training at Portland followed in preparation
for assuming the duty of Fleet Ready Escort. This task demands
readiness to deploy to any potential area of tension at short
notice – for example, in support of the United Nations
arms embargo in the Adriatic.
Since completing OST the ship has taken part in VE Day commemorations
in Copenhagen and Oslo and provided navigational sea training
for frigate and destroyer navigating officer candidates.
A visit to her namesake city of Cardiff for VJ Day anniversary
celebrations followed another maintenance period and then
the ship sailed to Plymouth for a trails and weapon training
programme, part of the continuing process of maintaining
military capability.
In November HMS Cardiff became the first Royal Navy ship
to enter Beirut for 27 years. Visits to Tunisia and Gibraltar
followed. Before her call at the Lebanese capital she took
part in the multi-national exercise Bright Star, which also
involved the Egyptian Navy and 40,000 troops ashore in the
Egyptian desert. Seventeen warships participated.
Built by Vickers in Barrow and launched in 1974, HMS Cardiff’s
fitting out was delayed until she was towed to Swan Hunter’s
yard on the Tyne, and she was finally accepted into service
in September 1979.
Her air defence armament centres around the Sea Dart missile
system which in its prime role is designed to provide area
air defence to a group of ships at sea. It also has a capability
against surface targets.
The system comprises a twin-barrelled missile launcher and
two Type 909 fire control radars which guide the missile
to its target with the help of the ship’s main computer
installations.
A Vickers single-barrelled automatic 4.5in Mark 8 machine
gun is also fitted. This weapon, also controlled by the Type
909 radars, has a high rate of fire, It is capable of engaging
both air and surface targets and performs well against shore
targets in the bombardment role.
Close range self defence is provided by two radar-controlled
Vulcan Phalanx weapon systems and a number of manually operated
20mm guns.
Overall the ship has a comprehensive fit of search and target
indication radars as well as various electronic warning devices
which together feed the centralised computer system with
information to enable the air defence weapons to engage their
targets.
Cardiff is fitted with the advanced Type 2016 active sonar
for the detection of submarines. This feeds target information
into the computer system, thus allowing the helicopter controller
to position the ship’s Lynx helo for an attack with
homing torpedoes.
The Anglo-French Lynx, an important component of the Type
42’s weapon package, can also carry the Sea Skua air-to-surface
guided missile which proved so effective in the Gulf War.
With its powerful radar, the Lynx extends the ship’s
detection range against enemy surface forces. It can achieve
speeds of over 150 knots and is fitted with comprehensive
avionics equipment. The helicopter can also be used for search
and rescue.
HMS Cardiff’s full internal and external communications
and navigation fit, including satellite link, complements
the weapon systems and provides swift and accurate action
information.
In action the ship is fought from the operations room, where
full use is make of all weapons to engage the enemy at long
range and protect high value units in the group.
The Type 42’s ship’s company comprises more than
280 men and women who serve in four main departments – operations,
supply and secretariat, weapons engineering. Each is an expert
in his or her own field. In such a modern, complex warship
in the emphasis is increasingly placed on technical skills.
HMS Cardiff has a well-equipped sickbay and comfortable is
somewhat confined accommodation – creature comforts
often necessarily taking second place to fighting efficiency.
She is fully air conditioned.
Recreation at sea comes by way of films, TV and a well-stocked
library. Day to day necessities are sold from a small Naafi
canteen.
(Ship of the Month January 1996)
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