Romanian frigate Regina Maria (F222)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS London.

HMS London
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS London
Namesake	London
Operator	Royal Navy
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down	7 February 1983
Launched	27 October 1984
Commissioned	5 June 1987
Decommissioned	14 January 1999
Identification	Pennant number: F95
Fate	Sold to Romania on 14 January 2003
Romania
Name	Regina Maria
Namesake	Marie of Edinburgh
Acquired	14 January 2003
Commissioned	21 April 2005
Identification	Pennant number: F222
Status	In active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 22 frigate
Displacement	5,300 tonnes
Length	148.1 m (486 ft)
Beam	14.8 m (49 ft)
Draught	6.4 m (21 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B high-speed gas turbines (54,000 shp / 40 MW) 2 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C cruise gas turbines (9,700 shp / 7.2 MW)
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (cruise) 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (max)
Complement	250
Armament	UK: 2 × 6 GWS25 Sea Wolf surface-to-air missile launchers 4 × 1 MM.38 Exocet SSM Launchers 2 × Twin 30 mm AA 2 × 20 mm GAM-BO1 guns 4 × 7.62mm GPMGs Romania: 76/62 Oto Melara Super-Rapid gun
Aircraft carried	UK: Lynx Mk.8 Romania: IAR-330 Puma Naval

HMS London was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy, originally named Bloodhound but renamed London at the request of the Lord Mayor of London.

She was flagship of the Royal Navy task force during the First Gulf War in 1991.

She was decommissioned on 14 January 1999 and sold to the Romanian Navy on 14 January 2003, being commissioned as Regina Maria on 21 April 2005 after Queen Marie of Romania, wife of King Ferdinand I of Romania. Before the sale the Sea Wolf and Exocet missile systems were removed, and the only armament the ship had when delivered was two 30mm BMARC cannons and two three-tube ASW torpedo launchers. The Romanian Navy had a 76mm Oto-Melera gun system fitted forward where the Exocets had been mounted, but no missile systems, or additional weapons have been fitted. There has since been some controversy over the price at which Romania purchased the ship.

Commanding Officers

• 1986-1987: Captain Robert Fisher RN
• 1987-1989: Captain Douglas Littlejohns RN
• 1989-1990: Captain James Taylor RN
• 1990-1991: Captain Iain Henderson RN
• 1991-1992: Captain Mark Stanhope RN
• 1992-1994: Captain Timothy McClement RN
• 1994-1996: Commander Alan Brooks RN
• 1996-1998: Commander Iain Greenlees RN
• 1998-1999: Commander Thomas McBarnet RN

Gallery

• 
  HMS London
• 
  Regina Maria at the 2005 Trafalgar 200 International Fleet Review

See also

• Regina Maria destroyer (Regele Ferdinand class), a World War II-era namesake
• Romanian Naval Forces

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.