HMS Lincoln (F99) was a Salisbury-class, or Type 61, aircraft direction frigate of the Royal Navy, constructed by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan on the River Clyde. Laid down in 1955, she was launched on 6 April 1959 and completed on 7 July 1960. Named after the city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, she served as a key vessel in maritime defense and Cold War operations. Initially, HMS Lincoln’s service included deployment in the Far East, notably during the Indonesian Conflict, beginning with her recommissioning in Singapore Dockyard on 13 July 1965 under Commander D C Nairne RN. Her operational activities included visits to Subic Bay for US Navy exercises and serving as a guard ship in Hong Kong. She returned to Plymouth in 1966 after her Far East deployment. HMS Lincoln participated in the Second Cod War in October 1973 under Commander D Howard. During this conflict, she was rammed in the stern in a previous engagement, prompting her crew to reinforce her stern with two lengths of railway line to deter further ramming. Despite these modifications, she sustained damage when positioned between a target trawler and the gunboat Aegir, necessitating repairs at Chatham. Decommissioned in April 1974 and placed in reserve, Lincoln was later refitted in 1976 with reinforced wooden padding on her bow for ramming duties amid the ongoing Cod Wars, where British frigates faced aggressive Icelandic gunboats. Her design made her suitable for such roles, as she lacked hull stabilizer fins. Throughout her service, she undertook various duties, including a tour in the Arctic, serving as a Gibraltar guard ship, and training submarine engineers—her engines similar to Oberon-class submarines. In her later years, HMS Lincoln was considered for sale to New Zealand and Egypt, but these sales did not materialize. Her radar systems, notably the 966 and 986 radars, were used in Arctic and Scandinavian surveillance and during Sea Harrier trials. She remained in service until her final active duty in 1979, after which she was phased out of operational service. Her maritime significance lies in her versatile role during Cold War tensions, her participation in fisheries disputes, and her use as a radar platform and training vessel.

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