The Type 23 was intended to provide numbers at the end of the Cold War and replace Leander-class frigates. The procurement account gives 24 planned ships, 18 ordered, and 16 built after post-Cold War cuts. Its description as a light frigate also needs a sense of scale. At just under 5,000 tons, it was close in size to the Second World War Arethusa-class light cruisers, estimated here to differ by only about 400 tons.
Notable Point · 14:03-15:05
Type 23 cuts and the size of a light frigate
The Type 23 example combines shrinking procurement numbers with a light-frigate hull approaching the size of a wartime light cruiser.