HMS St Albans (F83)

	In 2017, showing upgraded mod 1 main gun
History
United Kingdom
Name	St Albans
Ordered	February 1996
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down	18 April 1999
Launched	6 May 2000
Commissioned	6 June 2002
Refit	Major 2013–2015; Major 2019–2023;
Homeport	Devonport
Identification	Pennant number: F83; IMO number: 8949721; MMSI number: 234638000;
Nickname(s)	"The Saint"
Status	In active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Type 23 frigate
Displacement	4,900 t (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons)
Length	133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam	16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught	7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	CODLAG:; Four 1,510 kW (2,025 hp) Paxman Valenta 12CM diesel generators; Two GEC electric motors delivering 2,980 kW (4000 hp); Two Rolls-Royce Spey SM1C delivering 23,190 kW (31,100 hp);
Speed	In excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	7,500 nautical miles (14,000 km; 9,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	185 (accommodation for up to 218)
Electronic warfare; & decoys	UAF-1 ESM, or, UAT Mod 1; Seagnat; Type 182 towed torpedo decoy; Surface Ship Torpedo Defence;
Armament	Anti-air missiles:; 1 × 32-cell Sea Ceptor GWS 35 Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters for 32 missiles (1–25+ km) (replaced original Sea Wolf SAM) ; Anti-ship missiles:; 2 × quad Harpoon Block 1C (originally fit, retired 2023); being replaced by Naval Strike Missile (fit to F82 as of 2023); Anti-submarine torpedoes:; 2 × twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes; Guns:; 1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun; 2 × 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, or, 2 × 30 mm DS30B guns; 2 × Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023); 4 × General-purpose machine guns;
Aircraft carried	1 × AgustaWestland Merlin HM.2, multi role helicopter, of 829 Naval Air Squadron, RNAS Culdrose, armed with;; 4 × Sting Ray torpedoes; 4 × Depth charges; 2 × General-purpose machine gun; 1 × M3M machine gun; or; 1 × Wildcat HMA2, armed with:; 4 × Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (full operating capability projected from 2026), or,; 2 × Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes, or; 20 × Martlet multirole missiles (from 2021); Mk 11 depth charges;
Aviation facilities	Flight deck; Enclosed hangar;

HMS St Albans is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the sixth ship to bear the name and is the sixteenth and final ship in the Duke class of frigates. She is based in Devonport, Plymouth.