The UK Royal Navy will soon decommission three of its older Type 23 or Duke-class frigates.
HMS Richmond (pictured), HMS Iron Duke, and HMS Chiddingfold will be retired after having served for over three decades. The ships have been deployed worldwide, performing missions ranging from anti-submarine warfare to humanitarian relief.
The Type 23 frigates will be replaced by the incoming Type 31 and Type 26 ships. The Type 31 ships will be employed as multi-role platforms while the Type 26 ships will be dedicated to anti-submarine warfare.
Chiddingfold, which has been used extensively in mine countermeasures (MCM), will have her role taken over by autonomous and remotely operated MCM systems.
The three Type 23 frigates also saw service worldwide. Most recently, Richmond sailed as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group during its deployment to the Indo-Pacific in 2025 while Chiddingfold operated for two decades out of Bahrain to help ensure freedom of navigation in the Middle East.
