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![]() HMS Birmingham
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Class overview | |
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Name | Type 42 |
Builders | Vickers, Cammell-Laird, Swan Hunter, Vosper Thorneycroft, CFNE Argentina |
Operators |
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Preceded by | |
Succeeded by |
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Subclasses | Batches 1, 2 and 3 |
In service | 1975–2013 |
Completed | 16 |
Lost | UK: 2 (Falklands War) |
Retired | 14 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Guided-missile destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length | |
Beam | |
Draught | |
Decks | 8 |
Installed power | 50,000 shp (37 MW) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | 4,200 nmi (7,800 km; 4,800 mi) single Tyne RM1C/other shaft trailing at 13.8 kn (25.6 km/h; 15.9 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 2 |
Complement | |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Electronic warfare & decoys |
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Armament |
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Aircraft carried |
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Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for embarking one helicopter |
The Type 42 or Sheffield class, was a class of fourteen guided-missile destroyers that served in the Royal Navy.[4] A further two ships of this class were built for and served with the Argentine Navy.
The first ship of the class was ordered in 1968 and launched in 1971. Two of the class (Sheffield and Coventry) were lost to enemy action during the Falklands War of 1982. The Royal Navy used this class of destroyer for 38 years between 1975 and 2013.
No ships of this class remain active in the Royal Navy and both have also been retired from the Argentine Navy. The Royal Navy has replaced them with Type 45 destroyers.