Type 23 / Duke-class frigate

The Type 23 / Duke-class frigate is the Royal Navy's 16-ship anti-submarine frigate family, built in the United Kingdom and adapted into a versatile escort that now covers maritime security, surface warfare, and air-defense duties. Royal Navy sources describe the class as a modernized frontline warship with 4,900-ton displacement, 133-metre length, and Sea Ceptor air defense on the surviving ships.

Operation Inherent ResolveUnspecified

Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval Systems

Image source: Wikimedia Commons: HMS Richmond MOD 45155880.jpg

Shipboard Air Defence

The Duke class uses Sea Ceptor as its modern anti-air missile fit.

Launched item

Item type

Launch evidence

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile, Naval air-defense missile, Air Defense

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile

Air-defence missile system

Royal Navy pages identify Sea Ceptor as the Duke class's air-defence missile system and show the missiles launched from the ship's distinctive silo.

Sources: Duke Class Type 23 Anti-Submarine Frigate

Profile

Origin: United Kingdom
Built by: Yarrow ShipbuildersSwan Hunter
Type: Anti-submarine frigate class
Service note: 1990-present
Number built: 16

Also Known As

Duke class
Duke-class frigate
Type 23 frigate
Type 23 Duke-class frigate

frigate naval shipboard anti-submarine warfare surface warfare air defense

Specifications

Displacement: 4,900 tonnes
Length: 133 metres
Beam: 16.1 metres
Speed: 28 knots
Range: 7,800 nautical miles
Armament: 4.5-inch Mk 8 gun, Sea Ceptor missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, 30 mm close-range guns, and Wildcat or Merlin helicopter

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Entered Royal Navy service in 1990; the class remains in service while being replaced by Type 26 and Type 31 frigates.
Used by: Royal Navy

Conflict Usage

Side: Unspecified

Type 23 frigates provided naval gunfire support during the 2003 Al Faw operation in Iraq, joined carrier-group operations against Daesh, and HMS Richmond later shot down Houthi drones in the Red Sea using Sea Ceptor missiles.

Type 23 / Duke-class frigate Images

Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval Systems - view 1 — Source: Wikimedia Commons: HMS Argyll MOD 45151411.jpg

Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval Systems - view 2 — Source: Wikimedia Commons: HMS Portland in Bab-el-Mandeb Straits MOD 45149710.jpg

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Sources

Duke Class Type 23 Anti-Submarine FrigatePublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the class name, Type 23 designation, original anti-submarine warfare role, published statistics, replacement context, and Sea Ceptor fit. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 HMS Richmond | Royal NavyPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports HMS Richmond as a Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, the 16-ship class count, Swan Hunter build context, launch date, and general operational history. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Royal Navy Navy News July 1990 issue 432Publisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the early Duke-class build program and the split between Yarrow Shipbuilders and Swan Hunters as the class entered production. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Royal Navy Navy News December 2024 issue 845Publisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the class's current fit of the 4.5-inch gun, Harpoon missiles, Sea Ceptor missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, 30mm close-range guns, and Wildcat or Merlin helicopter. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Wikimedia Commons: HMS Richmond MOD 45155880.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and open-license context for the HMS Richmond photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Wikimedia Commons: HMS Argyll MOD 45151411.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and open-license context for a Type 23 frigate photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Wikimedia Commons: HMS Portland in Bab-el-Mandeb Straits MOD 45149710.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and open-license context for a Type 23 frigate at sea. | Accessed: 2026-06-25