British frigate fires torpedo in Gulf

HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 Frigate, has launched a practice Sting Ray torpedo as part of a training drill.

HMS Lancaster is currently deployed in the Middle East, operating primarily in the Gulf region. To maintain a continuous presence without the need for the ship to return to the UK, the Royal Navy employs a crew rotation system.

Every four months, the entire crew of approximately 200 personnel is swapped with a fresh team from the UK. This approach allows HMS Lancaster to remain operational in the region while ensuring that its personnel can manage their time effectively between deployments

Being a general purpose Type 23 Frigate, it would be easy to forget our roots! Ensuring we still have a sting in our Anti-Submarine Warfare capability, we keep our skills honed💪

Completing a Stingray torpedo training firing today from our onboard launch system#FwdDeployedT23 pic.twitter.com/NvkFE1BvT4

— HMS Lancaster (@HMSLANCASTER) November 4, 2024

The torpedo is powered by a pump jet that runs on an electric motor, using a magnesium/silver-chloride seawater battery. This system allows for fast speeds, deep diving, great agility, and minimal noise. Before launch, the weapon gets information about the target and surroundings from the launching platform.

Once it’s released, it works on its own, using its onboard software and sonar to find and lock onto the target without needing more help. The software is also designed to handle any countermeasures the target might use.

HMS Lancaster

HMS Lancaster, affectionately known as “The Queen’s Frigate” and “The Red Rose Frigate,” is a Type 23 frigate commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1992. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990, the vessel has undergone several major refits to maintain its operational effectiveness, including a life extension programme from 2017 to 2019.

With a displacement of 4,900 tonnes, the frigate is equipped with a CODLAG propulsion system, allowing it to achieve speeds in excess of 28 knots and a range of 7,500 nautical miles at 15 knots. Lancaster is currently forward-deployed to HMS Jufair in the Middle East, where it operates as part of the Royal Navy’s enduring commitment to regional stability.

The frigate is well-armed to handle a range of missions, from anti-air and anti-ship to anti-submarine warfare. HMS Lancaster’s armament includes a 32-cell Sea Ceptor Vertical Launching System, originally fitted with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Sting Ray torpedo tubes for submarine defence. It also features a BAE 4.5-inch Mk 8 naval gun, 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, and various machine guns. In addition to its onboard weaponry, the ship can carry one Wildcat HMA2 or Merlin HM2 helicopter, which can be equipped with Sea Venom missiles, Sting Ray torpedoes, and Martlet multirole missiles.

From mid-2024, HMS Lancaster’s capabilities were expanded with the addition of Peregrine ISR UAVs, bolstering its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance functions.