Type 42 destroyer

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HMS Birmingham
Class overview
Name	Type 42
Builders	Vickers, Cammell-Laird, Swan Hunter, Vosper Thorneycroft, CFNE Argentina
Operators	Royal Navy (1975–2013)  Argentine Navy (1976–2024)
Preceded by	Type 82 (UK) Py class (Argentina)
Succeeded by	Type 45 (UK) Almirante Brown class (Argentina)
Subclasses	Batches 1, 2 and 3
In service	1975–2013
Completed	16
Lost	UK: 2 (Falklands War)
Retired	14
General characteristics
Type	Guided-missile destroyer
Displacement	Batch 1 & 2: 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) standard,[1] 4,100 long tons (4,200 t)[1] or 4,350 tons[2] full load Batch 3: 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) standard,[1] 4,775 long tons (4,852 t)[1] or 5,350 tons[2] full load
Length	Batch 1 & 2: 119.5 m (392 ft) waterline,[1] 125 m (410 ft)[1] or 125.6 m (412 ft)[2] overall Batch 3: 132.3 m (434 ft) waterline,[1] 141.1 m (463 ft)[1][2] overall
Beam	Batch 1 & 2: 14.3 m (47 ft)[1][2] Batch 3: 14.9 m (49 ft)[1][2]
Draught	Batch 1, 2 & 3: 4.2 m (14 ft) keel,[1] 5.8 m (19 ft) screws[1][2]
Decks	8
Installed power	50,000 shp (37 MW)
Propulsion	2 shafts COGOG; 2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B high-speed gas turbines, (50,000 shp (37 MW)) 2 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C cruise gas turbines, (5,340 shp (3.98 MW))
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) (2 × Olympus) 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph) (1 × Olympus and 1 × Tyne per shaft) 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) (1 × Olympus) 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) (2 × Tyne) 13.8 kn (25.6 km/h; 15.9 mph) (1 × Tyne)
Range	4,200 nmi (7,800 km; 4,800 mi) single Tyne RM1C/other shaft trailing at 13.8 kn (25.6 km/h; 15.9 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2
Complement	Batch 1 & 2: 253 (incl. 24 officers)[1] or 274,[citation needed] accommodation for 312[1] Batch 3: 269 (2013);[3] 301 (incl. 26 officers)[1](1993) Batch 1, 2 & 3: 24 officers and 229 ratings[2]
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 1022/965P air surveillance, Radar Type 996/992Q 3-D surveillance, 2 × radar Type 909 GWS-30 fire-control, Radar Type 1007 & 1008 navigation, IFF 1016/1017, Sonar Type 2050 / 2016 search, Sonar Type 162 bottom profiling,
Electronic warfare & decoys	UAA2/UAF DLH decoy system
Armament	1 × twin launcher for GWS-30 Sea Dart missiles (22 missiles, space was reserved for an additional 15 in Batch 3) 1 × 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (after 1982, not on Argentine ships) 2 × Oerlikon / BMARC 20 mm L/70 KBA guns in GAM-B01 single mounts 4 × MM38 Exocet anti-ship missile launchers (only on Argentine ships) 2 × STWS II triple anti-submarine torpedo tubes (not on Argentine ships)
Aircraft carried	1 × Westland Lynx HAS / HMA armed with 4 × anti-ship missiles 2 × anti-submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities	Flight deck and enclosed hangar for embarking one helicopter

The Type 42 or Sheffield class, was a class of fourteen guided-missile destroyers that served in the Royal Navy.^[4] A further two ships of this class were built for and served with the Argentine Navy.

The first ship of the class was ordered in 1968 and launched in 1971. Two of the class (Sheffield and Coventry) were lost to enemy action during the Falklands War of 1982. The Royal Navy used this class of destroyer for 38 years between 1975 and 2013.

No ships of this class remain active in the Royal Navy and both have also been retired from the Argentine Navy. The Royal Navy has replaced them with Type 45 destroyers.