FRIGATE ARRIVES NEXT WEEK

THE Royal Navy frigate the HMS Campbeltown will be paying a courtesy visit to the port of Palma early next week.
She will be in port for four or five days, and while she will not be open to visitors, a wide range of sporting events have been organised for the crew during their brief stay. One of the highlights will be a rugby match against a local team at the Principe de Asturias stadium in Palma's Polígono Son Castello at 8pm on September 17. The HMS Campbeltown is a Type 22 Broadsword Class Frigate, originally designed as specialist anti-submarine platform, although she has evolved into a powerful surface combatant with substantial anti-surface, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weapons systems. This type of frigate also possesses excellent command and control and communications facilities, making them ideal Flagships. On patrol they have an efficient cruising speed of 18 knots, but have a sprint capability of over 30 knots. The HMS Campbeltown is 148.1 metres long with a beam of 14.8 metres and a displacement of 5'300 tonnes. She has a complement of 250.
Her standard armament includes Goalkeeper close-in weapons system (CIWS), Sea Wolf anti-missile system, Quad Harpoon missile launchers, and NATO Seagnat Decoy Launchers. She also has Lynx MK 8 helicopters, Sea Skua anti-ships missiles and Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes.