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| F235 Monmouth, Type 23 class frigate of the Royal Navy |
This
is the seventh photo gallery (see previous posts) from my visit to Kiel,
on the first weekend of the 136th Kiel Week. The Kiel Week (German:
Kieler Woche) or Kiel Regatta is an annual sailing event in Kiel, the
capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The first weekend of the Kiel
Week, the famous Naval Base of Kiel, opens its gates for just four hours
per day, for thousands of tourists who are eager to visit the German
Navy warships and dozens of foreign warships which visit the city of
Kiel, to honor the Kiel Week. Τhe Royal Navy was represented
by a number of ships and craft, including the F235 Monmouth, the sixth vessel in the Type 23 class of frigates. The ships are named after British Dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the Duke-class. The first Type 23, HMS Norfolk, was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, HMS St Albans was commissioned in June 2002. They form the core of the Royal Navy's destroyer and frigate fleet and serve alongside the Type 45 destroyers. Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare in the North Atlantic,
the Type 23 evolved into a more complex and balanced vessel
optimised for general warfare, which introduced a host of new
technologies and concepts to the Royal Navy. These included extensive radar cross-section reduction design measures, automation to substantially reduce crew size, a combined diesel-electric and gas
(CODLAG) propulsion system providing very quiet running for
anti-submarine operations along with excellent range, vertical launch
missile technology and a fully distributed combat management system. Thirteen Type 23 frigates remain in service with the Royal Navy, with three vessels having been sold to Chile and handed over to the Chilean Navy. Affectionately known as "The Black Duke", Monmouth is the only ship in service with the Royal Navy that has its name painted in black and flies a plain black flag in addition to the ensign. This is due to the dissolution of the title and the blacking out of the Coat of Arms of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685 following the Monmouth Rebellion against James II of England. As of 2018, Monmouth carries the most battle honours of any ship name currently serving in the Royal Navy. Enjoy my photos from my visit aboard the mighty HMS Monmouth!
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| The Black Duke together with other ships of SNMG1 |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth. Notice the new Type 997 Artisan 3D radar on the main mast |
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| AW159 Wildcat on the flight deck |
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| AW159 Wildcat on the flight deck |
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| Note the name painted in black |
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| The ship is not equipped with VDS |
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| Wildcat armed with torpedo |
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| View of the ship |
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| Mount for GPMG machine gun. Note the armor plates for the protection of the gunner |
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| One of the two 30 mm DS30 guns |
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| Port-side 30 mm DS30 RWS |
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| Quadruple Harpoon launchers |
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| Harpoon launchers behind the VLS |
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| The two quadruple Harpoon launchers of HMS Monmouth |
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| The bridge of the ship and the mast |
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| The Type 997 Artisan radar has replaced the older Type 996 Mod 1 |
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| The 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun |
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| The 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun |
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| The 32-cell Sea Wolf SAM GWS.26 VLS |
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| 32 canisters for Sea Wolf SAM |
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| Mount for GPMG |
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| Sea Wolf SAM VLS |
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| Harpoon and Sea Wolf launchers |
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| The Sea Wolf VLS has not yer replaced by the more advanced CAMM/Sea Ceptor |
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| One of the two Mk44 miniguns |
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| Seagnat decoy launching system |
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| Seagnat decoy launching systems |
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| One of the two Mk44 miniguns |
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| Mk44 minigun |
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| Mark 44 Bushmaster II cannon |
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| HMS Monmouth can carry one Wildcat or a Merlin helicopter for ASW/ASuW operations |
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| Helicoper's cockipt |
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| The glass cockpit of Wildcat |
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| Decoy launching systems (not installed) |
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| Decoy launching systems (not installed) |
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| L-3 Wescam MX-15D EO-sensor |
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| Sting Ray ASW torpedo on the pylon |
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| Decoy launching systems (not installed) |
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| Seaspray 7000E AESA MM-radar |
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Frigate's hangar, large enough to accommodate a Wildcat
or a Merlin helicopter for ASW/ASuW operations |
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| Marine engineering equipment |
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| The ship's mast with the Artisan radar and other sensors |
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| Note the Sperry Sea Archer 30 (GSA 8) EO-sensor |
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| From left to right: Type 911 Sea Wold guidance system, Mk44 minigun, SCOT 1D SATCOM |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| HMS Monmouth |
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| Note the 30mm gun automated mount |
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| View of HMS Monmouth |
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| View of ship's amidships |
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| One of the two Type 911 trackers and the large hangar |
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| Type 911 tracker and secondary mast |
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| The hatch for two 324mm torpedo launchers |
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| Type 911 tracker and hangar |
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| The hatch for two 324mm torpedo launchers for Sting Ray ASW torpedoes |
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| TDS, Sea Eagle FCEO and Type 911 tracker |
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| TDS, Sea Eagle FCEO and Type 911 tracker |
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| HMS Monmouth, sixth Duke class frigate of the Royal Navy |
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