The second half of the 1960s saw the Royal Navy undergo a period of radical change. The decision to cancel its next generation of large aircraft carriers on grounds of cost heralded a period of significant restructuring that gave rise to new designs, such as the Invincible class support carriers and Type 42 air defence destroyers. Another important requirement was for a cost-effective patrol frigate that could sustain the fleet’s traditional presence across the globe. Inevitably, the navy’s design teams struggled to cope with the massive amount of work required to develop this new fleet.
Against this backdrop, it was decided to enlist the help of Britain’s private shipbuilders to design the new frigates. Vosper Thornyrcoft (VT), in particular, had earned a good reputation exporting a series of light frigate designs to the fleets that
