HMS Ajax was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy, constructed by the renowned Cammell Laird shipbuilding company of Birkenhead. Launched on 16 August 1962 and commissioned on 10 December 1963, she was originally intended to be a Rothesay-class vessel named HMS Fowey but was redesignated as part of the Leander class during her construction. The vessel cost approximately £4.8 million to build. Measuring 372 feet (113.4 meters) in length overall and 360 feet (109.7 meters) at the waterline, with a beam of 41 feet (12.5 meters) and a maximum draught of 18 feet (5.5 meters), HMS Ajax displaced 2,380 long tons (2,420 tonnes) at standard load and up to 2,860 long tons (2,910 tonnes) fully loaded. Her propulsion system comprised two oil-fired boilers feeding steam at 550 psi and 850°F to twin geared steam turbines, delivering 30,000 shaft horsepower and enabling her to reach speeds of 28 knots. Armament included a twin 4.5-inch Mark 6 gun mount at the bow and initially two Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns as temporary defenses until the fitting of the Sea Cat missile system. She was equipped with a Limbo anti-submarine mortar aft and had a hangar and helicopter deck to operate a Westland Wasp helicopter for extended anti-submarine and surface missions. Her radar suite featured the Type 965 long-range air search radar, Type 993 short-range radar, and Type 974 navigation radar. She also carried sonar systems for medium and bottom search, with a planned but uninstalled Type 199 variable depth sonar. Throughout her service, HMS Ajax participated in notable deployments including the Far East, the Beira Patrol, and operations off Aden. She served as a guardship for Hong Kong and Gibraltar, and later as leader of the 8th Frigate Squadron following modernization in the early 1970s, which included upgrading her missile and radar systems. She played roles in evacuations during the Cyprus conflict, escorted the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1985, and participated in the South Atlantic protection force during the Falklands conflict. Decommissioned on 31 May 1985, she was ultimately broken up in 1988, with remnants such as her anchor and bell preserved in Canada and her town of Ajax, Ontario, respectively.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.