The following material is an adaptation of a Royal Navy Warship. Please feel free to use it as you see fit. All I ask is that you give proper credit to the author and do not claim that it is your own work. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

DUKE CLASS
TYPE 23 FRIGATE

RPG Stats by DANIEL HENWOOD & MARC FLETCHER
Background info provided by the Naval Technology Website & Royal Navy Website

BACKGROUND

Powerful and versatile with the capability to operate anywhere in the world, the Type-23 Frigate is the mainstay of the Royal Navy Surface Fleet, forming 50% of the total Frigate/Destroyer force. Originally designed as cheap replacements for the Leander class frigates for Anti-Submarine warfare, the Frigates weapon systems and adaptability allow it to operate anywhere in the world at short notice fulfilling multiple roles including both Anti-Submarine, and Anti-Air Defence. The Falklands War of the early 1980's taught the Royal Navy many hard lessons which resulted in the inclusion of additional weapons on its Surface Vessels, and enhanced stealth designs to reduce their radar signature. Along with its main propulsion system (CODLAG) permitting it to run nearly silent at times the survivability of the Frigate is enhanced. The Type-23 Frigate is less susceptable to the Anti-Warship Exocet Missiles used so effectively by the Argentine Navy and Air Force against the Royal Navy Fleet.

These include embargo operations using boarding teams inserted from the ship's boats or helicopter, disaster relief work and surveillance operations. HMS Norfolk was the first Type-23 Frigate to enter service in the Royal Navy's Surface Fleet on the 1st June 1990, and since then 15 others have also joined the Surface Fleet, with 4 more planned. To better assist the Type-23 in its missions it carries a single Merlin Helicopter. Formerly carrying a Lynx Helicopter the Type-23's Lynx's were replaced by the Merlin in 2001. The combination of the Lynx/Merlin with a Type 23 ensures that the Type 23s are one of the most capable units in the world. The Type 23 Frigates are also the first Royal Naval vessels to carry the VL Sea Wolf system. Seawolf is an anti-aircraft and anti-missile system. It is highly potent, with a closing speed in excess of Mach 2. The advantage of the VL Sea Wolf is that there are no blind spots, and it is capable of firing throughout 360 degrees.

RPG STATS

Government: United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Ship Type: Multi-Role Frigate
Class: Duke Class (Type 23)
Manufacturer: BAE Systems
Crew: 186 total (174 Ratings & 12 Officers)

Notable Ships of Class:
HMS Norfolk F230
HMS Northumberland F238
HMS Argyll F231
HMS Richmond F239
HMS Marlborough F233
HMS Somerset F82
HMS Lancaster F229
HMS Grafton F80
HMS Iron Duke F234
HMS Sutherland F81
HMS Monmouth F235
HMS Kent F78
HMS Montrose F236
HMS Portland F79
HMS Westminster F237
HMS St Albans F83

MDC BY LOCATION: 

(1) Main Body                                   2,600
(2) Command Tower                                 550
(2) Sensor Array (behind Command Tower)           150
(3) Helicopter Landing Deck                       800
(4) Propellors (2)                                300 each

    MK 8 4.5 Inch Gun                             275
    Mk141 Harpoon Quad Launchers (2)              170 each
    VLS Seawolf Launcher                          275 each
    30mm Vulcan CIWS (2)                          150 each
    Torpedo Launcher Tubes (4)                    200 each 

    Outer Hull (per 40ft area)                    100
    Interior walls (per 20ft)                      10

NOTES:

  1. Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the Frigate out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, the ship itself will be an unsalvageable sinking wreck.
  2. Destroying the command tower will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. Destroying the main sensory array behind the command tower will have the same effect, but the command staff will not be killed instantly.
  3. Destroying the flight deck will greatly impair the Frigates ability to deploy and recover Helicopter.
  4. Depleting the MDC of the propellors will leave the ship adrift until such time as they are repaired or the ship is towed back to port.

SPEEDS:

Speed: 28 knots (15 Knots on Electric Motors)
Maximum Range: 7,800 miles

STATISTICAL DATA:

Length: 485.9 ft (133 m)
Width: 48.5 ft (16.1 m)
Weight: 3,500 tons (Standard,) 4,500 tons (Fully Loaded)
Engines:
Two Rolls Royce Spey SM1A 34000 HP Gas Turbines
Two Alstom1.5 MW 4400 HP Electric Motors
Four GEC-Alsthom Paxman Valenta 12 RP2000CZ, 7000 hp
Radar Systems:
BAE SYSTEMS Type 996 (AWS-9) E/F Band 3D Search Radar
Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-Band Navigation Radar
BAE SYSTEMS Type 911 Fire Control Radars (2)
Sonar Systems:
Thales Underwater Systems Type 2050 Medium-Range Bow-Mounted Active/Passive Search and Attack Sonar
Thales Type 2031Z Very Low Frequency Passive Search Towed Array Sonar

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. 4.5 INCH (114MM) MK8 VICKERS CANNON (1): The Royal Navy decided to re-introduce Cannons to their Surface Fleet Vessels after the hard learnt lessons of the 1981 Falklands War. Instead of a cumbersome 6 inch Gun with a slow rate of fire the Royal Navy chose a slightly smaller Gun with a higher rate of fire as their main defensive weapon.

  2. VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEM SEAWOLF LAUNCHERS (32): The primary anti-aircraft weapon of the Type 23 Frigates. These thirty-two SAM Pods are designed to provide saturation fire against air threats, both aircraft and missiles after the Royal Navy lost so many ships to Exocet Missiles during the Anglo-Argentine War over the Falklands Islands. The Missile batteries are located forward of the bridge right behind the MK8 Gun.

  3. MK 141 HARPOON MISSILE LAUNCHERS (8): These are the principle Anti-Ship Missile Batteries aboard ship and are carried in two launchers, (featuring 4 tubes each,) behind the main VLS battery forward of the bridge. They are designed to protect the Frigate and the rest of the Fleet that it is attached to by taking out enemy ships at long range before they can get to close to pose a higher threat.

  4. BRITISH AEROSPACE/OERLIKON 30MM CANNON (2): As part of the close in defence complement this weapon is designed to engage aircraft and missiles. It is manned by a gun crew and is very effective againest low flying aircraft.

  5. 324 MM STINGRAY TORPEDO LAUNCHER TUBES (4): The primary Anti-Submersible weapon of the Type-23 Frigates. The torpedo launcher tubes fire heavy warhead torpedo's designed to destroy submarines, and/or sea based installations with a single torpedo.

  6. THALES DEFENCE'S SCORPION ECM/UAF-1 ESM JAMMER Used to defeat hostile radar and Sonar, the ECM/ESM, (Electronic Counter Measures,) jammers will confuse all radar and sonar so that the ships is much harder to be detected or locked onto with radar/sonar guided weapons. This does not give away the position of the ship but it does let the enemy know that they are there. The only way that it can be defeated is with ECCM, (Electronic Counter-Counter Measures.)

  7. HUNTING ENGINEERING SEA GNAT CHAFF/FLARE DECOY DISPENSORS (4): The Frigates Counter-measures dispensors consist of four six-barrelled 130mm Chaff/Flare launchers. Triggered by the Principal Weapons Officer, (PWO,) they will release either a chaff cloud or single flare depending on what the PWO chooses. They are used to confuse enemy missiles attacking the ship. Smart missiles get a 20% bonus when rolling on the below chart.

SYSTEMS OF NOTE:

AIRCRAFT COMPLEMENT (STANDARD):

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN