HMS Sutherland (F81)

HMS Sutherland at Dartmouth, September 2007
Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Sutherland
Operator:	Royal Navy
Ordered:	January 1992
Builder:	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down:	14 October 1993
Launched:	9 March 1996
Sponsored by:	Lady Christina Walmsley
Commissioned:	4 July 1997
Homeport:	HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Motto:	Sans peur "Without fear"
Status:	in active service, as of 2012
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type 23 Frigate
Displacement:	4,900 tonnes, standard
Length:	133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam:	16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught:	7.3 m (23 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	CODLAG with four 1510 kW (2,025 shp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators powering two GEC electric motors delivering 2980kW (4000 shp) and two Rolls-Royce Spey SM1A delivering 23,190 kW (31,100 shp) to two shafts
Speed:	28 knots, HMS Sutherland achieved 34.4 knots during high-speed trials (November 2008)
Range:	14,485 km (9,000 miles) at 15 knots
Complement:	185
Electronic warfare and decoys:	4 x 6-barrel Seagnat decoy launchers DFL2/3 offboard decoys
Armament:	Anti-air missiles; 32 cell Sea Wolf air-defence GWS.26 VLS for 32; Sea Wolf missiles (range 1-13 km) Anti-ship missiles; 2× quadruple Harpoon launchers. (8 anti-ship missiles) Anti-submarine torpedoes; 2× twin 12.75 in (324 mm) tubes for Stingray ASW torpedoes. Guns; 1× BAE 4.5 inch Mk8 Mod. 1 gun 2× 30mm DS30M automated guns or 30mm DS30B guns 2× Miniguns 4× General-purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:	1×Lynx HMA8, armed with; 4× Sea Skua anti ship missiles, or 2× anti submarine torpedoes or 1×Westland Merlin HM1, armed with; 4× anti submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities:	Flight deck Enclosed hangar

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

HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the thirteenth ship in the Duke class of frigates and is the third ship to bear the name, more than 200 years since the name was last used.

She was launched in 1996 by Lady Christina Walmsley, wife of Sir Robert Walmsley KCB. Before this occasion, Royal Navy ships had always been launched with a bottle of champagne, but Lady Walmsley broke with tradition and used a bottle of Macallan Whiskey.

There is a keen golfing community on-board, and the crew sometimes use the facilities of their affiliate golf course in the Royal Burgh of Dornoch.

Operational history

She was deployed to the Falkland Islands in the winter 1998/1999. In 2000, she was part of the task force NTG2000, the first time Royal Navy ships have circumnavigated the globe since 1986. In December 2007, major upgrades worth ₤35 million were announced making Sutherland the "most powerful frigate in the fleet". The upgrades included Sonar 2087, an upgrade to Seawolf, an improvement to the 4.5 inch gun to allow it to fire long-range ammunition, and a reshaped stern to cut fuel use.

She was due to be given the freedom of the county of Sutherland but had her visit cut short, with "operational commitments" as the given reason. This was eventually revealed as her deployment as part of the UK Response Force Task Group's (RFTG) first deployment, named COUGAR' 11.

In May 2011, she made a port visit to Patras, Greece following participation in exercises off Crete, after which she became involved in the operations off the Libyan coast.

On 16 June 2011, Sutherland visited Souda Bay in Crete to commerorate the 70th anniversay of the Battle of Crete, before sailing to Kalamata in Greece to conduct further World War II memorials.

On 24th July 2011 HMS Sutherland returned to the coast of Libya as part of Operation Ellamy.

On the 18 October 2011 HMS Sutherland passed through Tower Bridge in London and docked next to HMS Belfast, returning back through the bridge on 22 October 2011.

Affiliations

• The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
• County of Sutherland
• Honourable Company of Master Mariners, Livery
• Sherborne School, CCF
• Clifton College, Bristol CCF's
• TS Grenville, Paisley (Sea Cadets)
• TS Duchess, Biggleswade (Sea Cadets)
• The Royal Dornoch Golf Club

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  Sutherland approaching Dartmouth, September 2007

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  Sutherland approaching Dartmouth, September 2007

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  Sutherland at Newcastle upon Tyne, September 2004