HMS Sutherland (F81) is a **Type 23 Duke-class frigate** of the Royal Navy, the thirteenth ship in the class, launched in 1996 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde and commissioned in 1997. Specializing in **anti-submarine warfare** and renowned as the fastest frigate in the fleet with recorded speeds exceeding 34 knots, it features advanced systems including the **Sea Ceptor** air defence missile (installed during its recent life-extension refit), **Artisan** radar, and towed array sonar, often operating with a Merlin or Wildcat helicopter. Based in Devonport, Plymouth, HMS Sutherland underwent a major four-year refit completed in early 2025, returning to sea for trials and remaining in active service as of 2026. It has a distinguished operational history, including escort duties during the 2003 Iraq invasion, NATO operations in the Arctic, a 2018 Pacific deployment asserting freedom of navigation, and escorting HMS Queen Elizabeth on her initial sea trials in 2017.
