Tribal-class frigate

	HMS Eskimo
Class overview
Name	Type 81 or Tribal class
Operators	Royal Navy; Indonesian Navy;
Preceded by	Blackwood class
Succeeded by	Type 21
Built	1958–1964
In commission	1961–2000
Completed	7
Retired	7
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	2,300 long tons (2,300 t) standard; 2,700 long tons (2,700 t) full load;
Length	360 ft 0 in (109.73 m) oa; 350 ft 0 in (106.68 m) pp;
Beam	42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
Draught	13 ft 3 in (4.04 m); 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) (propellers);
Propulsion	Single-shaft COSAG; 1 Steam turbine 12,500 shp (9,300 kW); 1 Metrovick G-6 gas turbine 7,500 shp (5,600 kW);
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) (COSAG)
Range	4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	253
Sensors and ; processing systems	Radar type 965 air-search; Radar type 993 low-angle search; Radar type 978 navigation; Radar type 903 gunnery fire-control; Radar type 262 GWS-21 fire-control; Sonar type 177 search; Sonar type 170 attack; Sonar type 162 bottom profiling; Ashanti and Gurkha;; Sonar type 199 variable-depth;
Armament	2 × single QF 4.5 inch (113 mm) Mark 5* Mod 1 guns; 2 × single Mark 7 40 mm Bofors guns, later;; 2 × four-rail GWS-20 Seacat missile systems; 2 × single 20 mm Oerlikon guns; 1 × Mark 10 Limbo ASW mortar;
Aircraft carried	1 × Westland Wasp helicopter

The Type 81, or Tribal class, frigates were ordered and built as sloops to carry out similar duties to the immediate post war improved Black Swan-class sloops and Loch-class frigates in the Persian Gulf. In the mid 1960s the seven Tribals were reclassified as second class general-purpose frigates to maintain frigate numbers. After the British withdrawal from East of Suez in 1971 the Tribals operated in the NATO North Atlantic sphere with the only update the fitting of Seacat missiles to all by 1977, limited by their single propeller and low speed of 24 knots. In 1979–80 age and crew and fuel shortages saw them transferred to the stand-by squadrons; three were reactivated in 1982 during the Falklands War for training and guardship duties in the West Indies.

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