United Kingdom Navy HMS Iron Duke Retired

Withdrawn from Royal Navy service on 13 July 2026, announced alongside HMS Richmond and HMS Chiddingfold in a single statement citing the rising cost and risk of maintaining ageing hulls. Commissioned on 20 May 1993 and the oldest ship in the fleet at the time of her retirement, Iron Duke was a general-purpose Type 23 rebased from Portsmouth to Devonport in January 2025. She had been among the most frequently tasked units in the fleet, repeatedly shadowing Russian warships in home waters, and completed a five-year refit in 2023 that fitted Sea Ceptor. Her withdrawal cut the frigate force to five.