Marlborough revamped and ready for off

Once Type 23 HMS Marlborough had made her way home from last year's Exercise Saif Sareea, she was handed over to the tender mercies of the fleet support teams at Portsmouth Naval Base for a six-month stretch of overhaul and updates.

Superintendent Fleet Maintenance and FSL Ltd worked together to fit out the frigate with the latest modifications.

These include, most noticeably, the new 4.5inch Mk8 Mod 1 gun turret, nicknamed Kryten's head after the Red Dwarf character by the Navy.

Other changes include improvements to the command support system, fresh water system, updated Electronic Warfare kit and improved approach light and aviation facilites.

The time out of action gave the ship's company a chance to develop their affiliations with the town of Marlborough and other groups.

Marlborough is now in the throes of a tough training schedule. She and her ship's compay are down in Plymouth being put through their paces in operational sea training.

Even with the six months out for her maintainance period, Marlborough has had a packed 18 months; the ship's company had visited places ranging from New York to New Delhi, and from Middlesborough to Mumbai, leaving a trail of friends en route.

The next big thing in the warship's schedule will be Naval Task Group (NTG) 03 in the New Year.

The Type 23 is the sixth HMS Marlborough to serve with the Royal Navy. The first was a second rate of 1,131 tons originally called the St Michael but renamed in 1706 to honour the Duke after the Battles of Blenheim, Ramillies and Malplaquet.

Second in line was the 74-gun third rate of 1,640 tons built in 1767 and wrecked in 1800 near Belleisle, followed by another third rate in 1807.

The next ship was a first-rate screw of 6,300 tons built in 1855. In 1878 she became a training ship and was renamed Vernon II in 1904.

The last was the Iron Duke-class battleship of 25,000 tons which served the name proud as Jellicoe's flaghsip at Jutland in 1916.

Facts and Figures
Class:	Type 23 frigate
Pennant Number:	F233
Builder:	Swan Hunter, Wallsend-on-Tyne
Launched:	21 January 1989
Accepted:	7 March 1991
Commissioned:	14 June 1991
Displacement:	3,500 tons
Length:	133 metres
Beam:	15 metres
Speed:	28 knots (max)
Range:	7,800 nautical miles at 15 knots
Complement:	173
Propulsion:	Combined diesel, electric and gas; four 1.3mW Paxman Valenta diesels; two 1.5mW GEC Electric DC motors; two 12.74mW Rolls Royce Spey Gas Turbines; two GEC Double Reduction Gearboxes; two fixed pitch propellers and 34,000 shaft horsepower.
Weapons:	4.5in Mk 8 Gun Mod 1; eight McDonnell Douglas Harpoon; vertical launch Seawolf; two 30mm BMARC cannon; four 6-barrel Seagnat Chaff dispensers; magazine torpedo launch system with Stingray torpedoes and Sea Skua missiles
Sensors:	996 Plessey surveillance radar; two 911 Marconi Seawolf trackers; GSA8 BAE; 2031Z Towed array sonar; 2050 Bow sonar; UAF ESM system; and 1007 Kelvin Hughes nagivational radar.

(Ship of the Month October 2002)

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