View source for Leopard-class frigate

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
|+''Leopard'' class
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[File:HMS Jaguar F37.jpg|300px|HMS ''Jaguar'' (F37)]]
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
|Operators=*{{navy|UK}}
*{{navy|India}}
*{{navy|Bangladesh}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range= 1953&ndash;1960
|In service range=
|In commission range=*1957-1982 (British service)
*1958-1992 (Indian service)
*1978-2013 (Bangladesh service)
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=5 British & 3 Indian
|Total ships completed=4 British & 3 Indian
|Total ships cancelled=1 British
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=7
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=Air Defence [[Frigate]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|2300|LT|t|0|lk=in}} standard
*{{convert|2520|LT|t|0}} full load
|Ship length= {{convert|340|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]] 
|Ship beam= {{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height= 
|Ship draught= {{convert|16|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*8 × Admiralty Standard Range ASR1 [[diesel engine|diesel]]s, {{convert|14400|shp|0|abbr=on}}, 2 shafts
*220 tons oil fuel<ref>Gardiner, p. 156</ref>
|Ship speed= {{convert|24|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|7500|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|16|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=205 or 235
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=*Type 960 air search radar, ''later'';
*[[Type 965 radar|Type 965 ''AKE-1'']] air search radar
*Type 293Q target indication radar, ''later'';
*Type 993 target indication radar
*Type 277Q height finding radar
*Type 974 navigation radar
*Type 285 fire control radar on director Mark 6M
*Type 262 fire control radar on director ''CRBF''
*Type 262 fire control radar on ''STAAG'' mount
*Type 1010 [[Cossor]] Mark 10 IFF
*Type 174 search sonar
*Type 164 attack sonar
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*2 × twin [[QF 4.5 inch naval gun|4.5 in guns Mark 6]]
*1 × twin [[Bofors 40 mm gun#Naval versions|40 mm Bofors gun]] STAAG Mark 2, later;
*1 × single 40 mm Bofors gun Mark 9
*1 × [[Squid (weapon)|Squid A/S mortar]] 
|Ship armour=
|Ship aircraft= 
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''Type 41''' or '''''Leopard'' class''' were a [[ship class|class]] of [[anti-aircraft]] defence [[frigate]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] (4 ships) and [[Indian Navy]] (3 ships) in the 1950s.<ref name=1974RINApaper>Purvis,M.K.,  'Post War RN Frigate and Guided Missile Destroyer Design 1944-1969',  Transactions,  Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA),  1974</ref><ref name=Marriott>Marriott,Leo, 'Royal Navy Frigates Since 1945', Second Edition, {{ISBN|0-7110-1915-0}}, Published by Ian Allan Ltd (Surrey, UK), 1990</ref>

== Design ==
These ships were designed to provide anti-aircraft escorts to convoys and light fleet aircraft carriers of the Sydney and Virkant class and act as light destroyers on detached duties, as a result they were not built for fleet carrier task force speed, 28 knots of RN Victorious and Audacious class  and made only {{convert|24|kn|km/h}}.They were designed in late WW2 and immediately after as part of the 1944 project for a common hull A/S. A/A and A/D frigates and the legned and design of the Type 41 was completed by December 1947 <ref> D.K. Brown & G. Moore. Rebuidling the Royal Navy. Naval Design since 1945. Seaforth. Barnssley (2013) p 74 </ref> Unlike other post war frigates the Type 41 had a full destroyer armament of Two twin Mk 6 4.5 turrets and were far more powerful than the late 1940s RN  Battle class or Weapon class destroyers. Like the RAN (1950) Battle class variant - ( actually the Royal Navy variant, for war emergency production) and the unbuilt 1942- 2 turret RN G destroyer, which the 1944 Common hull escort closely resembles (shipyards building the T41, like Dennys Glasgow yard had been provided with the full Gallant  class, 1944 ship plan ,<ref>I. Buxton. Shiyard Apprentice. Ships Monthly 4/2019,p36 &39 </ref>, the Type 41 used the latest twin RN Mk 6 semi auto 4.5 turets, and with diesel electric propulsion they achieved long range and low fuel use.The first production orders were in 1951/2 and 1952/3 programmes and  In 1953 11 Type 41s with additional names like Cougar and Cheetah were planned along with 10 Type 61 frigates, <ref> Brown & Moore (2012)p 73-4 </ref>.  They shared a common hull and machinery with the [[Salisbury class frigate|Type 61 or ''Salisbury'' class]] aircraft direction vessels. The radar fit of the Salisbury AD frigates was when introduced was largely identical, to  the Reconstructed Dido class AD cruiser Royalist, while the Type 41 radar fit emphasised surface fighting not AW/AA/AD, HMS Leopard has a navigation radar, and the new 992 for long range surface target indication and 960M for LRAW while in the T61 had 4 LRAW systems, 293, 977M, 960M and 982M. An intended anti-submarine version, the Type 11 class (see [[Type system of the Royal Navy]]), was cancelled due to the low top speed being insufficient to combat contemporary adversaries, although in reality frigates and destroyers, moving at more than 25 knots create turbulence which blinds their own sonars and can only engage fast moving subs by using a helicopter with its own sonar or an observer able to see the sub thru a translucent ocean.The type 41s were still fitted with the best late 1950s RN sonar 170 and 174 which was still a good passive sonar in the 1970s but they had only minimal a/s  mortar. By 1955 success had been achieved, with difficulty and limitations  in developing  new  steam turbines  giving 30 knot speed and the range to take convoys across the Atlantic, for [[Whitby class frigate|Type 12]]. As a result the orders for the new diesel frigates were cancelled or changed to orders for Type 12 or sold to India.  Within a few years of the Type 41's introduction in the late 1950s they were regarded as obsolete for their intended function as anti aircraft convoy escorts, particularly, as the planned fitting of two twin 3/70 Mk 6 AA guns to replace the interim twin 4.5 Mk 6 was abandoned in Jan 1955, due to cost and the view AA guns were obsolete, against jets and missiles <ref> Brown & Moore. Rebilding the RN (2012) p 73-74 & N, Friedman. British Destroyers and Frigates after WW2. Seaforth. Barnsley (2012) p 208-211 </ref> and the failure of the power ramming for the twin 4.5 inch guns intended to boost the rate of fire from 14rpm to 24rpm, the abandonment of their STAAG, CIWS mount and replacement of the experimental version of the fast rotating 992 target indicators with the slower onto the screen standard cheese 993. Only a short range 262 radar MRS1 provided secondary AA fire control for the main armament.

The ''Leopard'' class was also fitted with an early type of hydraulic stabiliser system consisting of two fins that could be extended outside the main hull to port and starboard, from a compartment between the two engine rooms. Gyro controlled with a relatively simple control system, they proved very effective in use. During testing every 3 months at sea, the ship could be easily driven into a 20°+ roll from the manual control on the bridge. Prior warning had to be given to allow stowage of loose items over the ship's tannoy system before testing was carried out. Slight reduction in top speed was also noticed when in use.

== Service ==
They were used mainly as pure patrol frigates, notably on the South American station operating out of Simonstown in South Africa, and on [[Cod Wars|Cod War]] duties. In 1972 it was decided not to refit HMS ''Puma'' again, as purchasing the half sister of the class, the former ''Black Star'' ordered by Ghana, and commissioning it as HMS ''Mermaid'', would cost less than a Type 41 refit. HMS ''Leopard'' finished its service in the 1975-6 cod war, having given an Icelandic gunboat a 30-second warning that it would open fire with its 4.5 guns. HMS ''Lynx'' was the last of the class operational in 1977, attending the Spithead 1977 fleet review. HMS ''Jaguar'' was reactivated, from the standby squadron  for the [[Cod Wars#Third Cod War|3rd Cod War]], but sprang too many leaks on the voyage to Iceland and sailed back to Chatham in the UK.

HMS ''Jaguar'' and HMS ''Lynx'' were sold to the [[Bangladesh Navy]] in 1978 and 1982 respectively, and were retired in 2013.

==Construction programme==
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
|-valign=top
!  | [[Pennant number|Pennant]]
!  | Name
! width="20%"|(a) Hull builder<br>(b) Main machinery manufacturers
!  | Ordered
!  | Laid down
!  | Launched
!  | Accepted into service
!  | Commissioned
!  | Estimated building cost<ref>"Unit cost, i.e. excluding cost of certain items (e.g. aircraft, First Outfits)."<br>Text from ''Defences Estimates''</ref>
! width="20%"|Fate
|-valign=top
|  | F14
|  | [[HMS Leopard (F14)|HMS ''Leopard'']]
|  | (a) HM Dockyard, Portsmouth<br>(b) [[Vickers-Armstrongs|Vickers Armstrong (Engineers) Ltd]], Barrow-in-Furness<br>(b) [[Peter Brotherhood|Peter Brotherhood Limited]], Peterborough<ref name=NE1959>''Navy Estimates, 1959-60'', pages 230-1, ''List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31 March 1959''</ref>
|  | 21 August 1951<ref name=Warship2004p134>Moore, George, ''The dawn of the Salisbury, Leopard and Whitby class frigates'' in ''Warship, 2004'',  pub Conways, 2004, {{ISBN|0-85177-948-4}} page 134.<br>Moore gives the dates the vessels were ordered as 21 August 1951 for ''Leopard'' and 28 June 1951 for the others.</ref>
|  | 25 March 1953<ref name=Conwaysp516>Gardiner, Robert ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995'', pub Conway Maritime Press, 1995, {{ISBN|0-85177-605-1}} page 516.<br>This source says that first orders were placed in August 1951, which contradicts the article by George Moore in ''Warship, 2004''</ref>
|  | 23 May 1955<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | December 1958<ref name=NE1959/>
|  | 30 September 1958<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | £3,545,000<ref name=NE1959/>
|  | Paid off for last time 12 December 1975.<ref name=Friedmanp338>Friedman, Norman ''British Destroyers and Frigates, the Second World War and After'', pub Seaforth, 2006, {{ISBN|978-1-84832-015-4}} page 338.</ref> Broken up 1977.<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|-valign=top
|  | F27
|  | [[HMS Lynx (F27)|HMS ''Lynx'']]
|  | (a) [[John Brown & Company|John Brown and Co Ltd]], Clydebank<br>(b) [[Crossley Brothers|Crossley Brothers Ltd]], Manchester<br>(b) [[British Polar Engines|British Polar Engines Ltd]], Glasgow<ref name=NE1957>''Navy Estimates, 1957-58'', pages 234-5, ''List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31 March 1957''</ref>
|  | 28 June 1951<ref name=Warship2004p134/>
|  | 13 August 1953<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | 12 January 1955<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | 14 March 1957<ref name=NE1957/>
|  | 14 March 1957<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | £2,720,000<ref name=NE1957/>
|  | Sold to [[Bangladesh Navy|Bangladesh]] 12 March 1982, renamed ''Abu Bakr''.<ref name=Conwaysp23>Gardiner, Robert ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995'', pub Conway Maritime Press, 1995, {{ISBN|0-85177-605-1}} page 23.</ref> Decommissioned 22 January 2013.
|-valign=top
|  | F34
|  | [[HMS Puma (F34)|HMS ''Puma'']]
|  | (a) [[Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd]], Greenock <br>(b) HM Dockyard, Chatham<br>(b) British Polar Engines Ltd, Glasgow<ref name=NE1958>''Navy Estimates, 1958-59'', pages 234-5, ''List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31 March 1958''</ref>
|  | 28 June 1951<ref name=Warship2004p134/>
|  | 16 November 1953<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | 30 June 1954<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | April 1957<ref name=NE1958/>
|  | 27 April 1957<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | £2,914,000<ref name=NE1958/>
|  | Paid off for last time June 1972.<ref name=Friedmanp338/> Broken up 1976.<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|-valign=top
|  | F37
|  | [[HMS Jaguar (F37)|HMS ''Jaguar'']]
|  | (a) [[William Denny and Brothers|Wm Denny Bros Ltd]], Dumbarton<br>(b) Crossley Bros Ltd, Manchester<ref name=NE1960>''Navy Estimates, 1960-61'', pages 226-7, ''List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31 March 1960''</ref>
|  | 28 June 1951<ref name=Warship2004p134/>
|  | 2 November 1953<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | 20 July 1957<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | December 1959<ref name=NE1960/>
|  | 12 December 1959<ref name=Conwaysp516/>
|  | £3,772,000<ref name=NE1960/>
|  | Sold to [[Bangladesh Navy|Bangladesh]] 6 July 1978 for £2 million,<ref name=Conwaysp23/> renamed [[BNS Ali Haider (1978)|''Ali Haider'']].<ref name=Conwaysp516/> Decommissioned 22 January 2013.
|-valign=top
|  |  F34
|  |  [[INS Brahmaputra (1958)|INS ''Brahmaputra'']] (ex-HMS ''Panther'')
|  |  (a) John Brown and Co Ltd, Clydebank<ref name=Conwaysp174>Gardiner, Robert ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995'', pub Conway Maritime Press, 1995, {{ISBN|0-85177-605-1}} page 174.</ref>
|  | 1954<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 20 October 1955<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 13 March 1957<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | 31 March 1958<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | Ordered HMS ''Panther'', but transferred to India 1953.<ref name=Conwaysp516/> Decommissioned 30 June 1986 <ref name=Hiranandani>Hiranandani G.M,Transition to Eminence - The Indian Navy 1976 – 90; pub Lancer New Dehli 2005, {{ISBN|9788170622666}}</ref> Broken Up 1986.<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|-valign=top
|  |  F37
|  |  [[INS Beas ()|INS ''Beas'']]
|  |  (a) Vickers Armstrongs (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne <ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 1954<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 29 November 1956<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 9 October 1958<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | 24 May 1960<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | Decommissioned 22 December 1992<ref name=Hiranandani/> Broken up 1992.<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|-valign=top
|  | F38
|  | [[INS Betwa ()|INS ''Betwa'']]
|  | (a) Vickers Armstrongs (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 1954<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 29 May 1957<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 15 September 1959<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | 8 December 1960<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|  | 
|  | Decommissioned 31 December 1991<ref name=Hiranandani/> Broken Up 1988.<ref name=Conwaysp174/>
|-
|}
A fifth Royal Navy vessel, HMS ''Panther'' was ordered twice.  The first was transferred to India in 1953 before being laid down, a replacement was cancelled in 1957, before being laid down.<ref name=Conwaysp516/>

==See also==
{{Commonscat-inline|Leopard class frigates}}

==Footnotes==
<references />

==References==
* Purvis,M.K.,  'Post War RN Frigate and Guided Missile Destroyer Design 1944-1969',  Transactions,  Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA),  1974
* Marriott,Leo, 'Royal Navy Frigates Since 1945', Second Edition, {{ISBN|0-7110-1915-0}}, Published by Ian Allan Ltd (Surrey, UK), 1990
* {{colledge}}
* Gardiner, Robert, ''Conway's all the world's fighting ships 1947-1995'' Conway Maritime Press, 1995. {{ISBN|1-55750-132-7}}.
* Hiranandani G.M,'Transition to Eminence - The Indian Navy 1976 – 90'; pub Lancer, New Delhi 2005, {{ISBN|9788170622666}}

{{Leopard_class_frigate}}
{{Frigates_of_the_Indian_Navy}}

[[Category:Frigate classes]]
[[Category:Leopard-class frigates| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]