HMS Leander (F109)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "HMS Leander" F109 – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

HMS Leander (F109) in December 1977
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Leander (F109)
Operator	Royal Navy
Builder	Harland and Wolff
Laid down	10 April 1959
Launched	28 June 1961
Commissioned	27 March 1963
Decommissioned	April 1987
Motto	Qui patitur vincit
Fate	Sunk as target 1989
General characteristics
Class and type	Leander-class frigate
Displacement	2,450 tons standard 3,200 tons full load
Length	372 ft (113 m)
Beam	41 ft (12 m)
Draught	19 ft (6 m)
Propulsion	Two Babcock & Wilcox boilers delivering steam to two sets of White/English Electric geared turbines of 30,000 shp (22,000 kW) on two shafts
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range	4,600 nautical miles (8,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	18 officers and 248 ratings
Sensors and processing systems	1 × Type 994 air/surface search radar 1 × Type 1006 navigation radar 1 × Type 903 fire-control radar 1 × Type 184P active search and Type 170 attack sonar 1x Type 199 Variable Depth Sonar (later removed)
Electronic warfare & decoys	ADAWS5 (Action Data Automated Weapon System) combat information system, ESM system with UAA-8/9 warning and Type 668/669 jamming elements.
Armament	2 × 4.5-inch (110 mm) L45 DP guns in one Mk 6 twin mounting; later replaced by one Ikara ASW missile launcher in circular well forward 2 × quadruple Seacat anti-air missile launchers Limbo Mk10 Anti-submarine mortar 2 × 40-millimetre (1.6 in) Bofors guns Ship aircraft = 1 × Wasp Westland HAS Mk1 Wasp helicopter

HMS Leander (F109) was the nameship of the Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was originally intended to be part of the Rothesay class and would have been known as Weymouth. Leander was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of the classical Greek mythology. She was built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was launched on 28 June 1961. She was commissioned on 27 March 1963.

Service history

1963–1969

Upon her commissioning, Leander deployed to the

Leander, with the rest of the TG visited Cape Town, while Diomede and the submarine Warspite visited Simonstown. The TG, upon reaching their destination performed a number of exercises and 'fly the flag' visits with Far East and Pacific countries. While in the region, Leander, like a number of the TG, was shadowed by a number of nations, including the Soviet Union, a common occurrence during the Cold War. The TG did not visit South Africa on their return, and headed to Brazil for an exercise with the Brazilian Navy. Leander returned to the United Kingdom in June 1975.

In December 1975, Leander, under the command of Captain John Tait, began a Fishery Protection Patrol during the

In 1977, Leander undertook a refit, and the following year headed to the West Indies, California, British Columbia, Mexico and Florida.

1980–1989

In 1982, Leander came to the aid of the

Fate

On 31 July 1986 Leander was placed in Reserve, becoming part of the Standby Squadron.

References

• ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
  .
• Marriott, Leo, 1983. Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983, Ian Allan Ltd.
  ISBN 07110 1322 5
• Osborne, Richard and Sowdon, David. Leander Class Frigates: A History of their Design and Development 1958–1990, Kendal, UK: World Ship Society, 1990.
  ISBN 0-905617-56-8
  .

Media related to HMS Leander (F109) at Wikimedia Commons