HMS Kent

HMS Kent is the fourteenth member of the Duke Class of Type 23 frigates. She was launched in May 1998 by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Kent.

Weighing 4500 tons, HMS Kent is a major warship and carries a significant punch. While primarily designed for anti-submarine operations, she has a gun, helicopter and anti-air and anti-ship missiles.

HMS Kent's home port is Portsmouth; she has a complement of 180 personnel. She was commissioned at Portsmouth on 1 June 2000. She has close links with Kent County Council and Maidstone, the County Town. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is officially linked to HMS Kent as is the Royal Tank Regiment who have an official MOD affiliation with the ship.

The Captain of HMS Kent is Commander Simon Harden RN.

In 2001 HMS Kent became fully operational and went to the Gulf Region on deployment.

Career (UK)RN Ensign
Name:HMS Kent (F78)
Operator:Royal Navy
Ordered:February 1996
Builder:Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down:16 April 1997
Launched:27 May 1998
Commissioned:8 June 2000
Motto:Invicta
Fate:Active in service as of 2008
Badge:Image:Kentcrest.gif
General characteristics
Class and type:'Duke'-class Type 23 frigate
Displacement:4,900 tonnes
Length:133 m (463 ft 3 in)
Beam:16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught:7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:CODLAG (Combined Diesel-eLectric And Gas)
2 × Rolls-Royce Spey boost gas-turbines
4 × Paxman Valenta diesel engines
2 × GEC electric motors
Speed:28 knots (52 km/h)
15 knots (28 km/h) on diesel-electric
Range:7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement:185
Armament:2 × ASuW Harpoon quad launchers
Vertical launch system Sea Wolf missiles
1 × BAE 4.5 inch (110 mm) Mk 8 gun
2 × Oerlikon 30 mm guns
4 × Sting Ray torpedo tubes
Seagnat and DFL3 decoy launchers
Aircraft carried:1 × Lynx HAS Mk.3 helicopter

HMS Kent - Captain

Commander John Clink
Commander Simon Harden

 

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