HMS Edinburgh (D97)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Edinburgh.

HMS Edinburgh, leaving Portsmouth Naval Base 11 October 2010 lit by a rising sun.
Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Edinburgh
Operator:	Royal Navy
Builder:	Cammell Laird
Laid down:	8 September 1980
Launched:	14 April 1983
Sponsored by:	Lady Ann Heseltine; wife of then Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Heseltine (now Baron Heseltine, of Thenford in the County of Northamptonshire)
Commissioned:	17 December 1985
Identification:	Pennant number: D97 Deck code: EB International callsign: GBBE
Nickname:	"Fortress of the Sea"
Status:	in active service, as of 2012
Badge:	On a Field White, upon a mount of rock in base Proper, a castle, triple turreted, mason White. The flags, windows and portcullis Red.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type 42 destroyer
Displacement:	5,200 tonnes
Length:	141 m (462.5 ft)
Beam:	15.2 m (50 ft)
Propulsion:	COGOG (Combined Gas or Gas) turbines, 2 x Olympus, 2 x Tyne, 2 shafts 2 turbines producing 36 MW
Speed:	30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement:	287
Armament:	2 x Twin Sea Dart missile launcher (total of 40 missiles) 1 x 4.5 inch (113 mm) Mk 8 gun 2 x Phalanx Close-in weapon system (CIWS)
Aircraft carried:	Lynx Mk 8 SRU Armed with 3 x anti ship missiles 2 x anti submarine torpedoes

HMS Edinburgh is a Type 42 (Batch 3) destroyer of the Royal Navy. Edinburgh was built by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead. She was launched on 14 April 1983 and commissioned on the 17 December 1985. The largest of the Type 42 destroyers, HMS Edinburgh is known as the "Fortress of the Sea".

Operations

In 1990, Edinburgh completed a refit, which included the fitting of the Phalanx Close-in weapon system (CIWS). In 1994, Edinburgh was present at a Fleet Review to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in 1944. In 1998, Edinburgh deployed to the South Atlantic, where she patrolled the waters around the Falkland Islands, as well as making 'fly-the-flag' visits to various South American ports.

On the 27 September 2002, Edinburgh sailed into the River Mersey to escort the yachts at the end of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

In January 2003, Edinburgh deployed to the Persian Gulf and subsequently took part in the Second Gulf War against the dictator Saddam Hussein. While there, Edinburgh performed a variety of tasks, which included supporting the Royal Marines ashore, as well as being escort to the helicopter carrier Ocean. She returned to Portsmouth, where she is based, in May.

In April 2004, Edinburgh deployed to the Mediterranean, where she first joined Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED), and while there, Edinburgh will take part in Operation Active Endeavour, designed to monitor sea lanes as part of the War on Terror.

HMS Edinburgh at Mahon, Minorca, July 2008.

On her return to the UK, Edinburgh went into an extensive refit in Rosyth. She left Rosyth in September 2005 to conduct trials to ensure that she was materially up to operational standard before going to the FOST (organisation for Operational Sea Training) in the New Year. Since then Edinburgh has taken part in Exercise Neptune Warrior off the coast of Scotland; conducted a High Seas Firing of her Sea Dart missile system and then took part in the multi-national BALTOPS exercise in the Baltic Sea. The time in the Baltic included visits to Sweden, Germany and Estonia.

Edinburgh was deployed to the Middle and Far East from February until late July 2008 as part of Orion 2008, including a visit to Singapore and operations in the Gulf, during which she took part in an interception of a drugs cargo.^{[citation needed]}

Distinctive appearance

Forecastle differences on the destroyer HMS Edinburgh.

Edinburgh can readily be distinguished by her distinctively different forecastle. When it was decided to fit the Phalanx CIWS to this class of warships, it was intended that the Edinburgh should carry a single CIWS unit, mounted forward between her 4.5" gun and the Sea Dart launcher. To this end, her breakwaters were enlarged and she was fitted with a raised bulwark, very like those carried on the Type 22 frigates.

This location proved to be an unsuitably wet one for the Phalanx system despite the modifications to this warship, and the Edinburgh was later fitted with a pair of wing-mounted CIWS as carried by the other ships of the class, but she retains her distinctive bulwark and enlarged breakwaters.

The Edinburgh also differs from some ships of her class in carrying her badges flush to the funnel sides rather than on the funnel wing platforms.^{[citation needed]}

2010 Refit

Edinburgh became the final Type 42 destroyer to undergo a refit when she entered dry dock on 25 January 2010 at BAE Systems Surface Ships shipyard in Portsmouth Naval Base for work that will keep the ship in service until 2013.

Under a £17.5 million contract, the company refurbished the destroyer's weapons and communications systems, added a transom flap to the stern and applied a coat of International Paint's Intersleek 900 foul-release paint. The refit included a renewal of crew living quarters, catering facilities and laundry equipment. Edinburgh's four Rolls-Royce gas turbine engines were removed; with two being replaced by new units (starboard Olympus TM3B and port Tyne RM1C). In a company statement on 18 January 2010, BAE Systems said that the modifications will cut fuel consumption by 15 per cent.

Edinburgh emerged from refit in September 2010 to undergo sea trials that include testing the ship's propulsion machinery, radar and communication equipments, as well as her ability to conduct flying operations. Edinburgh's signatures will be assessed for radar cross section, heat, magnetic and acoustics before trials culminating in live firings of medium and close range weapons.

The 'Fortress of the Sea' was set to be formally accepted back into the fleet in late October 2010, followed by a rededication ceremony in early November.^{[citation needed]}

2011

In April 2011 Edinburgh successfully completed Sea-Dart missile firing trials.

May 2011 saw the ship begin an eight month deployment which will see her visit the Cape Verde and Falkland Islands.

Affiliations

• The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
• No. 8 Squadron RAF

Images

• 

  HMS Edinburgh Cape Town, 2006.

• 

  HMS Edinburgh, Portsmouth, 2004.

External links

• Royal Navy: HMS Edinburgh