![]() HMS Danae in January 1970
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History | |
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Name | HMS Danae |
Builder | Devonport Dockyard |
Laid down | 16 December 1964 |
Launched | 31 October 1965 |
Commissioned | 10 October 1967 |
Decommissioned | 1991 |
Identification | Pennant number: F47 |
Motto |
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Fate | Sold to Ecuadorian Navy |
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Name | BAE Morán Valverde |
Commissioned | 1991 |
Decommissioned | October 2008 |
Identification | Hull number: FM 02 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Leander-class frigate |
Displacement | 3,200 long tons (3,251 t) full load |
Length | 113.4 m (372 ft) |
Beam | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
Draught | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
Propulsion | 2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers supplying steam to two sets of White-English Electric double-reduction geared turbines to two shafts |
Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h) |
Range | 4,600 nautical miles (8,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Complement | 223 |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried |
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HMS Danae was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Danae was built by Devonport Dockyard. She was launched on 31 October 1965 and commissioned on 10 October 1967.
Danae was ordered during 1963 as one of three Leanders built under the 1963–1964.[1] The ship was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 16 December 1964, was launched on 31 October 1965 and completed on 7 September 1967.[2][3] She commissioned with the Pennant number F47 on 10 October 1967.[4]
Danae was 372 feet (113.4 m) long overall and 360 feet (109.7 m) at the waterline, with a beam of 41 feet (12.5 m) and a maximum draught of 18 feet (5.5 m). Displacement was 2,380 long tons (2,420 t) standard and 2,860 long tons (2,910 t) full load.[5] The ship was fitted with Y-136 machinery, built by J. Samuel White.[6] Two oil-fired Babcock & Wilcox boilers fed steam at 550 pounds per square inch (3,800 kPa) and 850 °F (454 °C) to a pair of double reduction geared steam turbines that in turn drove two propeller shafts, with the machinery rated at 30,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW), giving a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph).[5]
A twin 4.5-inch (113 mm) Mark 6 gun mount was fitted forward. Anti-aircraft defence was provided by a quadruple Sea Cat surface-to-air missile launcher on the hangar roof, while two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon for close-in defence against surface targets. A Limbo anti-submarine mortar was fitted aft to provide a short-range anti-submarine capability, while a hangar and helicopter deck allowed a single Westland Wasp helicopter to be operated, for longer range anti-submarine and anti-surface operations.[7]
As built, Danae was fitted with a large Type 965 long range air search radar on the ship's mainmast, with a Type 993 short range air/surface target indicating radar and Type 974 navigation radar carried on the ship's foremast. An MRS3 fire control system was carried over the ship's bridge to direct the 4.5-inch guns, while a GWS22 director for Seacat was mounted on the hangar roof.[8] The ship had a sonar suite of Type 177 or 184 medium range search sonar, Type 162 bottom search and Type 170 attack sonar. While Danae was fitted with a well to accommodate Type 199 variable depth sonar, it was never fitted.[9]
For other ships with the same name, see BAE Morán Valverde. |
In 1991, Danae was decommissioned from the Royal Navy and was sold to the Ecuadorian Navy, along with Penelope, on 25 April 1991.Danae's torpedo tubes were removed before transfer, and the sale did not include Exocet or Seacat missiles. Danae was renamed BAE Morán Valverde in Ecuadorian service, with the Pennant Number FM-01.[17] Morán Valverde had Exocet missiles restored in Ecuadorian service, while three twin SIMBAD launchers for Mistral anti-aircraft missiles replaced the Seacat launchers. The ship was re-fitted with six anti-submarine torpedo tubes, launching Italian Whitehead A244 torpedoes (These torpedo tubes had been removed from two Esmeraldas-class corvettes.[18]
In 2002, Jane's Fighting Ships noted that both Ecuadorian Leanders suffered from engine problems, with replacement of the ships' steam turbines with diesel engines being considered, and that sea time of the two frigates was limited.[19] Morán Valverde was decommissioned in October 2008. In September 2010 she was taken into Andec Dock Ecuador to be scrapped, a process which was expected to be complete by March 2011.[20]