HMS Ariadne (F72)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Ariadne |
| Operator: | Royal Navy |
| Builder: | Yarrow Shipbuilders |
| Laid down: | 1 November 1969 |
| Launched: | 10 September 1971 |
| Commissioned: | 10 February 1973 |
| Decommissioned: | May 1992 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: F72 |
| Fate: | Sold to Chile, 1992 |
 Chile
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| Name: | General Baquedano |
| Namesake: | Manuel Baquedano |
| Operator: | Chilean Navy |
| Commissioned: | 1992 |
| Decommissioned: | December 1998 |
| Fate: | Sunk as target in 2003 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Leander-class frigate |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 1 × Westland Wasp helicopter |
HMS Ariadne was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1971, was sold to Chile in 1992 and sunk as a target hulk in 2004.
Ariadne was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun and was the last of the Leander class to be completed, and the last warship to be built for the RN powered by steam. Ariadne was launched on 10 September 1971 and commissioned at Devonport Naval Base, Plymouth on Friday 2 March 1973 at 11.10. Like the rest of the Leander class, she was named after a figure of Greek mythology; Ariadne was Greek goddess of labyrinths and passions.
In the year of her commission, Ariadne undertook a fishery protection patrol during the Second Cod War with Iceland.
In 1974 Ariadne in company with Fife (FOF2 embarked), Scylla, Danae, Londonderry, Tidespring and Tarbatness made a nine-month deployment to the Far East, visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, South Africa and Gibraltar. Ariadne participated in Beira Patrol. She also refuelled from an old oiler permanently moored at Gan in the Indian Ocean.
In 1976, Ariadne completed a refit and the following year took part in the annual group deployment, visiting a variety of ports in South America and West Africa, as well as performing naval exercises.
In 1977, Galatea also took part in the Fleet Review, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Ariadne was part of the 7th Frigate Squadron. In 1978, Ariadne joined Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT), a NATO multi-national squadron.
Ariadne was intended for modernisation, which would have included the removal of her one 4.5-in Mk.6 gun, which would have been replaced by the Exocet anti-ship missile, as well as the addition of the Sea Wolf missile, but the 1981 Defence Review by the defence minister John Nott, cancelled the modernisation for Ariadne and other Batch III Leander-class frigates. In 1981 Ariadne became the West Indies Guard Ship and, while there, performed a variety of duties in that region.
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