Royal NAVY frigate Broadsword Origin: United Kingdom Type: Frigate (FF.) Built: 1975 Class: 7 in service; 5 building; 2 on order Displacement: (Batch 1) 3,500 tons standard; 4,200 tons full load (Batch 2) 4,100 tons standard; 4,800 tons full load (Batch 3) 4.200 tons standard; 4,900 tons full load DImensions: (1) Length 430 ft (131.2m) oa; beam 48.5ft (14.8m); draught 19.9ft (6 ml) (2 and 3) Length 471 ft (143.6m) oa; beam 48.5ft (14.8m); draught 21 ft (6.4m) Propulsion: (All Batch 1 and Batch 2 Boxer. Beaver) shaft COCOG (2 Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B/2 Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines), 50,000/9,700shp (Batch 2 Brave) shaft COCOG (2 Rolls-Royce Spey SM1A/2 Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines). 37.540/9.700shp (Batch 2 London, Sheffield. Coventry and all Batch 3) shaft COCOG (2 Rolls-Royce Spey SM1A/2 Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines), 37.540/9.750shp Performance: Speed 30-32 knots Mx: 18 knots on Tyne's Weapons: Missiles: 4 Except (Batch 1 and 2); 8 Harpoon (Batch 3); 2 cell Seawall launchers Guns: 1 4.5in/55 Mk 8 (3); 2 single 40 mm (1 and 2); 2 single 20 mm GAM-BOl (on deployment); 1 30 mm Goalkeeper (3) Torpedo tubes: 2 x 3 STEWS for Mk 46 or Stingray torpedoes (except Broadsword and Battle-axe) Aircraft: 2 Wetland Lynx Mk 2 (only normally carried; Brave and subsequent ships can operate Wetland Sea King) Sensors: Radar: Type 967 (967M from Brave on) and Type 968 surveillance; 2 Type 910 (Macron 805 from Brave onwards) SAM control; Type 1006 navigation Sonar: Type 2050; Type 2008; Type 2031 towed array (2 and 3) Complement: Batch 1 224;Batches 2 and 3 273    The United Kingdom had an outstanding success with the Lender class anti-submarine frigates, which have had an excellent record of service in the Royal Navy and have also sold well overseas. After an unsuccessful attempt to agree a standard design with the Netherlands. the Type 22 frigate was designed as the Lenders. successor; the first of the class- HMS Broadsword was laid down on February 7,1975. and commissioned on May 3. 1979. and another three Batch 1 vessels were commissioned at yearly intervals thereafter .   Changes in the requirement led to the lengthened Batch 2. launched between 1981 and 1985. and Batch 3. which utilize the lengthened hull of Batch 2. but with armament revised to incorporate the lessons of the 1982 South Atlantic war. In the process the Type 22 has changed from a specialized SAW frigate to a multiple destroyer and the latest ships of the class are. in fact. virtually equal in dimensions and displacement to the Soviet Kind class cruisers and larger than the British Type 42 destroyer.   The Batch 1 ships. designed for the SAW mission, carry two triple Mk 32 torpedo tubes for Mk 46 and Stingray torpedoes and two Lynx helicopters. They also have an excellent anti-missile and antiaircraft capability in their two six cell Seawall launchers. and anti ship weapons in the form of two single MM39 Except launchers on the forecastle. It was then decided to fit so many additional facilities that the hull had to be lengthened by some 41 ft (12.9m). resulting in a 600 ton increase in displacement. This group, designated Batch 2 and sometimes referred to as the Boxer class. differ from the Batch 1 ships principally in having enlarged Action Information Organization (AY) facilities to handle data from the new Type 2031 towed array sonar. Two very useful by-products of the stretching are an increase in range from 4.500nm to 7.000nm and an increase in maximum speed of about 2 knots. In addition, water displacement fuel tanks have been fitted to enable virtually all their fuel to be used without compromising stability. although no captain would allow his fuel stocks to run so low if he could avoid it. The first two ships of Batch 2 are otherwise identical to Batch 1. but the third (HMS Brave) has Rolls-Royce Spays in place of the Olympus in a CONGO arrangement, while the fourth and fifth ships have Spays and Tyne's in a CONGO arrangement.    Batch 3 ships have the lengthened hull. towed array and larger AY facilities of the Batch 2 and the Spey/Tyne CONGA arrangement of the later Batch 2s. Following the 1982 South Atlantic war, however the decision was made to fit a Vickers 4.5in gun. to replace the Except CMS by Harpoons. and tG fit the Dutch Goalkeeper CIEs. Future: It is already planned to update the earlier units of the class by fitting new weapons and sensors wherever possible. This may include the replacement of Except by Harpoon. Sea Eagle or Automate. and the fitting of the Type 2031 towed array in the Batch 1 ships. Vertical launch tubes for Seawall will also be fitted. as will facilities to operate the much heavier Sea King or EH 101 SAW helicopter.  The Seawolf GAS 25 Mod 3 SAM is fired from a six cell launcher, two of which are mounted on the Type 22 frigates This system proved an outstanding success during the 1982 South Atlantic War. A vertical launch system is now under development, although such a system actually reached the prototype stage some years ago, only to be rejected in favour of the six cell launcher Weapons  A MM38Exocetanti-ship missiles(4x1 ) B Seawolf GWS 25 SAM launcher(1x6) C 40 mm/60 Mk 9 AA gun (2x1) D 12.75in STWS-1 SAW torpedoetubes(2x3) E Seawolf GWS 25 SAM launcher(1x6) F Westland Lynz HAS2 ASWhelicopter(2 carried) G Seawolf GWS 25 Mod3 SAMlauncher(1x6) H Seawolf GWS 25 Mod3 SAMlauncher(1x6) J Vickers 45in/55Mk8 dual-purpose gun ( 1 x1 ) K Harpoon (or MM40 Exocet) anti-ship Missiles(2x4) L Goalkeeper CIWS M Oerlikon 20mm GAM-BO1 AAgun(2x1) N 12.75in STWS 2 ASW torpedotubes(2x3) O EH-101 ASW helicopter Electronics 1 Type 2016 hull-mounted sonar 2 Corvus chaff rocket launcher (2x8) 3 Type 910 Seawolf radar/electro-optical director 4 Type 1006 navigation radar  5 Type 967/968 surveillance radar 6 SCOTsatcomterminal (2x1) 7 Type 910 Seawolf radar lelectr0-0ptical director 8 Type 911 Seawolf radarlelectro-optical director 9 Type 911 Seawolf radarlelectr0-0ptical director 10 Type 2031 towed lineal passive-array sonar 11 Type 2050 hullmounted sonar