HMS Brighton (F106)

HMS Brighton in 1972
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Brighton
Builder:	Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow
Laid down:	23 July 1957
Launched:	30 October 1959
Commissioned:	October 1961
Decommissioned:	1981
Identification:	Pennant number: F106
Fate:	Sold for scrap 16 September 1985
Status:	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type:	Rothesay-class frigate
Displacement:	2,800 tons
Length:	370 ft
Beam:	41 ft
Draught:	17 ft 4 in
Propulsion:	2 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers operating at 550lb sq. in, 850°F English Electric geared turbines, 2 shafts, 30000 shafts horsepower
Speed:	30 knts
Complement:	235
Armament:	2 x 4.5" dual purpose on a Mk VI Mounting 1 x 40mm on STAGG mounting 2 x Limbo Mortar Mk 10 Mountings
Aircraft carried:	1 x Wasp helicopter

HMS Brighton was a Rothesay or Type 12I class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy.

With the rest of her class, HMS Brighton was rebuilt between 1970 and 1972 with more modern radar and fire control, and facilities for a Wasp helicopter for long range, anti-submarine engagement. HMS Brighton was the penultimate conversion, her reconstruction was a success, but being late in the schedule, she did not receive further updating. Unlke the rest of the class she retained the short range, 4km range 174 sonar,^[1] rather than upgrading to 177M or 184. The original Rothesay class were partly platforms to test a variety of sonars, being fitted with either 174, 177(176 passive) and 184 in probably Lowescroft and Londonderry the allocated 177M being used on export 12M frigates.

Brighton attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead when she was part of the 6th Frigate Squadron.^[2]

She was offered for sale to friendly nations, as a result of the 1981 Nott Defence Review, paid off in November 1981, the first of her class to be disposed of.

Commanding officers

1963	1966	Commander A J Cooke RN
1966	1966	Commander P M Stanford RN
1967	1969	Commander L A Bird RN
1977	1977	Commander P Bell RN
1978	1979	Commander J J R Tod RN
1980	1981	Commander T G Maltby RN

References

1. N.Friedman. British Destroyers and Frigates.
2. Official Souvenir Programme, 1977. Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, HMSO

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• Marriott, Leo, 1983. Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983, Ian Allen Ltd. ISBN 07110 1322 5