Leander class frigate The Type 12 (Leander)-class were a twenty-six class of frigates, arguably the most successful and popular frigates in the Royal Navy's history. The class were built in three batches, each batch having distinct roles. The first batch were general purpose as an alternative to the far more expensive single role classes such as the Rothesay-class and Whitby-class frigates. They had the Y100 engine design which would be replaced by the subsequent two batches, as-well as much better accommodation for the crew, including air conditioning. They also were designed from the start to operate one helicopter, a feature rather rare during that time. They were originally armed with one twin mount 4.5 in (114 mm) gun, but this was later removed in favour of the Australian designed Ikara anti-submarine warfare (ASW) rocket launcher in response to the perceived threat of Soviet submarines, effectively turning the batch one vessels into ASW frigates. The SeaCat missile was also installed, replacing the 40 mm guns. The Batch Two ships were designed for the specialised anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role and were only slightly revised to the batch ones, in that they had a different engine design, known as the Y136. The one twin mount 4.5-in gun was later replaced with the Exocet anti-ship missile launcher giving them a potent anti-ship capability. The SeaCat missile and 6 torpedo tubes were also added. The ASW mortar was also removed to allow the helicopter deck to be extended to enable the class to operate the larger, and more capable, Westland Lynx. The Batch Three ships were also revised, having their beam increased in size from 41 ft to 43 ft to give more internal space, as-well as to improve stability, which also allowed the Batch Threes to be more receptive to modernisation. The third batch had a different engine design, known as the Y160. On five ships of the batch, the one twin mount 4.5 in (114 mm) gun, SeaCat missile launcher, 40 mm guns, and Limbo mortar were all removed in favour of three 20mm Oerlikon guns, and SeaWolf and Exocet missile launchers. The 20 mm Oerlikon gun was added to all Batch Three ships. The Leanders were successfully exported under license to Australia, India and the Netherlands. Ex-RN ships were sold to Chile, Ecuador, India Pakistan and New Zealand. The ships performed excellently in RN service, but they were ageing and manpower intensive, at a time when the RN were suffering yet another manpower crisis, and with defence cuts, all Leanders in RN service were decommissioned by the early 1990s. Some Leanders remain in-service with foreign navies. On the 27th March 2004, HMS Scylla was sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall. It had been ten years since her decommissioning in 1994. Leander class variants Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html for use of this content. To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leander_class_frigate