Decoy angel
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HMS Richmond‘s Lynx helicopter, from 815 Squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, lights up the night sky with her decoy flares as part of an exercise while on patrol in the Indian Ocean last month. The helicopter is on a nine-month deployment to the Gulf with HMS Richmond – a Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate which is silhouetted in the background.
The baker’s dozen Type 23 or Duke-class frigates, at 4,900-tons and 436-feet oal were built to replace the 1960s and 70s vintage Leander and Type 21/22 class frigates.
They are armed with 32 VLS launched Sea Wolf missiles for anti-air defense, 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, ASW torps, and a 4.5 inch gun as well as point defense mounts and, oh yeah, a Lynx or Wildcat multipurpose helicopter…