HMS Argyll (F231)

The third and current HMS Argyll is a Type 23 'Duke' Class frigate. She is currently the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy.

History
HMS Argyll was laid down in March 1987 by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Glasgow, launched in 1989 by Lady Wendy Levene, and commissioned in May 1991. Argyll is currently based at Devonport Dockyard. It is planned that she will retire in 2023.

Deployments
In 2000, Argyll was part of the Royal Navy task force - Task Group 342.01 - &mdash; comprising HMS Illustrious (R06), HMS Ocean (L12), HMS Iron Duke (F234), HMS Chatham (F87), and four RFA ships &mdash; that deployed to Sierra Leone during the civil war there. During those operations, Argyll acted as the West African Guardship and remained off West Africa until September 2000. During her deployment, Argyll saved fifty-eight lives from drowning. She was relieved by her sister-ship HMS Iron Duke (F234) in September. During this incident Argyll, assisted by HMS Ocean, laid the foundation for the Iron Duke Community School. This is a school for orphans in Freetown. President Kabbah of Sierra Leone decreed the school be named after the crew of HMS Iron Duke (F234) for completing the construction of the six classrooms.

2001 saw a change in command with Commander John Kingwell succeeding Commander Rick Wellesley. In 2001, while in the Bay of Biscay, Argyll suffered an electrical fire that was quickly put out by the ship's damage control team, with the ship suffering only minimal damage.

Argyll completed a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf protecting two oil platforms, working with the American, Australian and Iraqi Navies from February to August 2005. The ship made a short visit to Boulogne, then to its home port of Inveraray and finally to Liverpool, before undergoing Operational Sea Trials. Argyll successfully completed Operational Sea Training and acted as a contingency platform whilst H.M. Elizabeth II spent a week sailing on the MV Hebridean Princess in July 2006.

In September 2006 Argyll was deployed along with other ships such as HMS Ocean (L12) and HMS Albion (L14) where she completed two drugs raids on merchant ships totalling £50 million. They |completed their operation in November of the same year.

HMS Argyll was in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons on 14 September 2007 when it was claimed that 41-year-old commanding officer Captain Nigel Chandler was replaced when the ship failed twice to pass the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) exercises. These exercises are taken every 18 months to ensure the ship and crew are ready for deployment. In October 2007 Argyll returned to the Persian Gulf to take over from her sister-ship, HMS Richmond (F239).

Thursday 3 April 2008 saw more than 500 friends and relatives welcome HMS Argyll as she returned to her home at Devonport after a deployment lasting 6 months in the Northern Persian Gulf. This was the Argyll's second Gulf deployment to Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in three years. This deployment included one patrol which lasted 52 days from January to March 2008. HMS Argyll was also at the 'Meet Your Navy' exhibition at HMNB Portsmouth 2008.

6 May 2008 saw the crew return to Argyll, with the crew bidding their commanding officer of 7 months, Commander Gavin Pritchard, a fond farewell. Pritchard was succeeded by Commander Peter Olive. Argyll was then to engage in a period of trials and training before entering a period of maintenance in June.

11 May 2008 saw the Trans-Atlantic solo yacht race in Plymouth Sound started by the ceremonial cannon aboard Argyll. Dame Ellen MacArthur also attended the start of the race and Rear Admiral Richard Ibbotson, head of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation, was also on board Argyll.

On 21 July 2008 Argyll led the parade of tall ships out of Liverpool ahead of the Tall Ships Race starting 23 July.

On 18 February 2009, Argyll sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson, She is joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock HMS Bulwark (L15), as Hudson's flagship, Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) HMS Ocean (L12), Type 23 Frigate HMS Somerset (F82) and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Argyll returned to Devonport on 17 April from this deployment.

In early October 2010, the Argyll and her crew arrived in Plymouth last week after an 11-month refit which included 290,000-man-hours spent on modifications, upgrades and improvements." She has received a new command system, upgrades to Sea Wolf, the Mod1 4.5-inch (114mm) gun, and mounts for new small calibre guns. She was also given new boat-launching equipment.  "The refit included the replacing of two of the vessel's four diesel generators and one of her gas turbine engines." Her ventilation system has been improved. "Along with fresh paint on the upper decks she has been coated below the waterline with a special paint to prevent the build-up of sea life which would slow the ship. This also makes her more fuel-efficient." "HMS Argyll is the first Type 23 frigate to undergo a second major refit."  As of March 2011, the Argyll was in post refit sea training. Commander Paul Stroude has been the commanding officer of Argyll since May 2010.



On Sunday 22 January 2012 it was announced that Argyll was part of a six-ship convoy which sailed through the Strait of Hormuz alongside French and United States Navy vessels, during a diplomatic dispute with Iran. In a period after this she engaged in Exercise ‘Goalkeeper’ whilst still in the Middle East.

On 30 June 2012, Armed Forces Day, she fired the salute in Plymouth as part of a steampast alongside RFA Mounts Bay, the Earl of Wessex was in attendance alongside the First Sea Lord.

In 2013, she is off on a seven month deployment to the Atlantic, having visited South Africa. She also engaged in counter-narcotics work in the Eastern Pacific by travelling around Cape Horn and is headed back to her home port via the Panama Canal.

Affiliations

 * His Grace, The Duke of Argyll
 * The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * No. 47 Squadron RAF
 * Argyll and Bute District Council
 * City of Glasgow
 * Worshipful Company of Paviors
 * Plymouth Argyle F.C.
 * Lady Levene, the ship's sponsor
 * HMS Vivid RNR
 * Royal Naval Club, Argyll
 * Royal Naval Association Stirling
 * TS Argyll Irvine & District Sea Cadets
 * City of London Sea Cadets
 * Kelly College, Devon
 * Dollar Academy, Clackmannanshire
 * High School of Glasgow
 * Argyll Ward, Derriford Hospital