HMS Apollo (F70)

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History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Apollo
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down	1 May 1969
Launched	15 October 1970
Commissioned	28 May 1972
Decommissioned	31 August 1988
Identification	Pennant number: F70
Fate	Sold to Pakistan, 1988
Pakistan
Name	PNS Zulfiqar
Commissioned	1988
Decommissioned	29 October 2006
Identification	Pennant number: F262
Fate	Sunk as target, 12 March 2010
General characteristics
Class and type	Leander-class frigate
Displacement	3,200 long tons (3,251 t) full load
Length	113.4 m (372 ft)
Beam	12.5 m (41 ft)
Draught	5.8 m (19 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers supplying steam to two sets of White-English Electric double-reduction geared turbines to two shafts
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range	4,600 nautical miles (8,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	223
Armament	1 × twin 4.5 inch (114 mm) guns 1 × quadruple Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile launchers 1 × Limbo anti-submarine mortar
Aircraft carried	1 × Westland Wasp helicopter

HMS Apollo was a batch 3B broadbeam Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Apollo was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun. She was launched on 15 October 1970 and commissioned on 28 May 1972, making her the penultimate Leander.

Both Apollo and Ariadne are easily distinguished from the other Leanders by their 'witches hat' – fitted to the top of the foremast as a part of the electronic warfare array.