According to the British daily, the Times, United Kingdom will offer two Type 23 frigates, HMS Monmouth and HMS Montrose frigates, to Hellenic Navy as an interim solution. Britain hopes that the offer will help Babcock International win a multibillion-pound deal with Greece to build new frigates and upgrade its fleet. Babcock offered four Arrowhead 140 Type 31e frigates.
“HMS Monmouth” is a Type 23 or Duke Class frigate originally designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) by the Royal Navy. The frigate has the Seawolf missile launcher (GWS 26 Mod 1 VLS) and Harpoon missiles (2X4 launchers) (ASuW), to be considered multi-role.
The vessel was decommissioned on 30 June. The ship was preparing to undergo modernization in 2019. However, it was decided to be deforested with weapons systems and sensors favouring the rest of Type 23.HMS Montrose is the eighth of the sixteen-ship Type 23 or Duke class of frigates of the Royal Navy, named after the Duke of Montrose.On 22 March 2021, it was announced that Montrose would be decommissioned earlier than planned as part of the defence’s Integrated Review. As of 2021, Montrose remained deployed East of Suez but was scheduled to return to the UK in 2022. She will likely be retired five years earlier than previously planned.
