HMS Richmond and other Type 23 frigates provided naval gunfire support during the 2003 Al Faw assault in Iraq.
Role detailsNaval Systems
Type 23 / Duke-class frigate
Also known as
- Duke class
- Duke-class frigate
- Type 23 frigate
- 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 multi-role escort with Sea Ceptor air defense on surviving ships. Royal Navy reporting on HMS Richmond shows the class protecting carrier groups, covering anti-submarine patrols, and firing Sea Ceptor against Houthi drones in the Red Sea.
Role in Conflicts
- Role in conflict
- Carrier strike group escort and air defense
HMS Richmond escorted the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Eastern Mediterranean while F-35 aircraft carried out combat missions against Daesh.
HMS Richmond used Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down Houthi drones in the Red Sea during its 2024 deployment.
Role detailsFrom Anti-Submarine Specialist To Fleet Escort
The Type 23 class began as a Cold War anti-submarine design and ended up as a flexible escort with a much broader combat footprint.
| Era | What changed | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Parliamentary records announced the first orders and the start of construction at Yarrow Shipbuilders and Swan Hunter. | The original brief centered on a modern anti-submarine frigate for the Royal Navy's North Atlantic role. |
| 2021-2024 | HMS Richmond escorted the UK Carrier Strike Group, then used Sea Ceptor against Houthi drones in the Red Sea. | The class now does carrier protection and air defense as well as its original submarine-hunting job. |
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Built by
- Yarrow ShipbuildersSwan Hunter
- Type
- Anti-submarine frigate class
- Service note
- 1990-present
- Designed
- 1986
- Unit cost
- £115 million each (1985-86 prices, estimated)
- Number built
- 16
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
Shipboard Air Defence
Sea Ceptor is the class's modern area-defence missile fit, and HMS Richmond used it in the Red Sea in 2024.
| Launched item | Item type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Air-defence missile system | Royal Navy sources identify Sea Ceptor as the Duke class's air-defence missile system, and Red Sea reporting shows HMS Richmond launching it against Houthi drones. Sources: Duke Class Type 23 Anti-Submarine Frigate, Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrols |
Timeline
Type 23 / Duke-class frigate Key Events
First production orders are announced
The Ministry of Defence announced the first Type 23 orders and said the first two ships would begin building in the coming months.
Sources: Frigates (Hansard, 15 July 1986)
HMS Richmond is launched
HMS Richmond was launched at Swan Hunter on 6 April 1993, one of the clearest public markers of the class entering fleet service.
Sources: HMS Richmond | Royal Navy
Carrier strike deployment and Daesh operations
HMS Richmond escorted the UK Carrier Strike Group and the Royal Navy described its deployment alongside F-35 combat missions against Daesh in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Sources: HMS Richmond back home after seven months on historic global deployment
Sea Ceptor gets its Red Sea combat debut
Royal Navy reporting said HMS Richmond used Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down Houthi drones during the Red Sea deployment.
Sources: Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrols
Media
Type 23 / Duke-class frigate Images
Related Weapon Systems
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: 2026-06-25HMS 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, 6 April 1993 launch, and HMS Richmond's use in the 2003 Iraq War with naval gunfire support during the 2003 Al Faw assault. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Royal 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: 2026-06-25Royal 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: 2026-06-25Frigates (Hansard, 15 July 1986)Publisher: UK Parliament | Note: Supports the 1986 order announcement, the first Type 23 ships starting construction at Yarrow and Swan Hunter, and the announced cost of about £115 million each. | Accessed: 2026-06-27HMS Richmond back home after seven months on historic global deploymentPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports HMS Richmond's use in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State, including carrier-strike deployment and Daesh combat missions in the Eastern Mediterranean. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrolsPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports HMS Richmond's use in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis, including Sea Ceptor fire against Houthi drones during the 2024 deployment. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia Commons: HMS Richmond MOD 45155880.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and open-license context for the HMS Richmond photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Wikimedia Commons: HMS Argyll MOD 45151411.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and open-license context for a Type 23 frigate photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Wikimedia 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