Type 82 General Purpose Destroyer  

This class was designed as the General Purpose escorts for the CVA-01 Carrier but on cancellation the class was reduced from 4 to 1. Even this ship was only built because there was a need to get Ikara and Seadart to sea earlier than would have been possible had it been decided to wait for the replacement class (the Type 42 which abandoned Ikara in favour of a Lynx helicopter).  Officially listed as a "Destroyer" this is presumably as the result of her Seadart area defence capability and despite the lack of a helicopter hanger.

HMS Bristol suffered a major fire in the boilers shortly into her active life but managed to complete the weapons trials on her gas turbines. 

She was also the last RN ship built to be steam powered.

Sensors (at build)

• Type 965 (AKE-2) LR Air Search Radar (Later replaced by Type 1022)
• Type 993 Target Indication Radar
• Type 909 Seadart FC/GFCS
• Type 978 Sea Search Radar
• Type 1006 Navigation Radar
• Type 184M Hull Sonar
• Type 162M Bottom Profiling Sonar

Armament (at build)

• 1 Mk8 4.5"/55 DP Gun
• 1 Ikara ASW Missile Launcher (32 Rounds) (Later Removed)
• 1 GWS 30 Seadart SAM Launcher (40 Rounds)
• 1 Mk10 Limbo ASW Mortar (Later Removed)
• 4 x 30mm AA
• 4 x 20mm AA

Modernisation

Fitted with flagship facilities in 1979-80 refit. Further refit in 1984, completed in March 1986.

Operational

Fuel, 900 tons, SCOT satellite system compatible with both Skynet and the US defence communications satellites. Dartmouth (Midshipmen) Training Ship from mid 1987, but remained available to act as flagship during major exercises.