HMS Boxer (F92)

History

United Kingdom

NameHMS Boxer

BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders

Laid down1 November 1979

Launched17 June 1981

Commissioned22 December 1983

Decommissioned4 August 1999

IdentificationPennant number: F92

MottoPraemonitus Praemunitis (Latin: "Forewarned is Forearmed")

FateSunk as a target vessel

General characteristics

Class & typeType 22 frigate

Displacement4,800 tons

Length146.5 m (481 ft)

Beam14.8 m (49 ft)

Draught6.4 m (21 ft)

Propulsion2-shaft COGOG 2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B high-speed gas turbines (54,000 shp (40,000 kW)) 2 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C cruise gas turbines (9,700 shp (7,200 kW))

Speed18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) cruise 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) full

Range8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi)

Complement273

Armament2 × 6 GWS25 Sea Wolf SAM launchers 4 × 1 Exocet SSM launchers 2 × Twin 30 mm AA guns 2 × 20 mm AA guns 4 × 7.62 mm GPMGs

Aircraft carried2 × Lynx MK 8 helicopters

HMS Boxer was the first of the Batch 2 Type 22 frigates of the Royal Navy. After being decommissioned on 4 August 1999, the ship was sunk by the Royal Navy in the Western Approaches during a live-fire SINKEX in August 2004.

Service

She was one of only two Batch 2s (the other being Beaver) fitted with the lower-height hangar of the Batch 1s, so she could only accommodate Lynx helicopters. On coming out of refit in 1990, with a clean bottom she achieved close to 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).

During 1996 and 1997 she was leader of the 1st Frigate Squadron.

Commanding officers

Notable commanding officers include James Perowne (1986-1988), Timothy Laurence (1990-1992) and Richard Ibbotson (1991-1993 and 1998-1999).

Publications

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (3rd Rev ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC .