Ambuscade firing her 4.5-inch gun
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSAmbuscade
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yard number	1008
Laid down	1 September 1971
Launched	18 January 1973
Commissioned	5 September 1975
Decommissioned	28 July 1993
Identification	Pennant number: F172
Motto	Tempori insidior ("I bide my time")
Fate	Sold to Pakistan on 28 July 1993
Notes	To be returned to the United Kingdom for preservation as a museum ship
General characteristics
Class & type	Type 21 frigate
Displacement	3,250 tons full load
Length	384 ft (117 m)
Beam	41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
Draught	19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion	COGOG: 2 ×Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines 2 ×Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1A gas turbines for cruising
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement	177
Armament	1 ×4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 naval gun 2 ×Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 4 × MM38Exocet missiles 1 × quadrupleSea Cat SAMs 2 × triple ASW torpedo tubes 2 × Corvuschaff launchers 1 × Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft carried	1 ×Westland Wasp helicopter, later refitted for 1 ×Westland Lynx

HMSAmbuscade is a retiredType 21 frigate of theRoyal Navy. She was built byYarrow Shipbuilders Ltd,Glasgow,Scotland. She entered service in 1975.Ambuscade took part in theFalklands War of 1982.

Ambuscade was sold to Pakistan in 1993 and served their navy asPNS Tariq until 2023.

Ambuscade was launched on 18 January 1973 byLady Griffin, wife of theController of the Navy, and was commissioned at Devonport on 5 September 1975.^[1] During 1976 and 1977 her commander wasPeter Abbott who subsequently attained Flag rank.^[2]

Ambuscade took part in theFalklands War of 1982, serving as an Electronic Warfarepicket ship to the Task Force,and taking part in severalbombardments of Argentine positions.^[1] On 25 MayAmbuscade was targeted by twoExocet missiles fired by ArgentineSuper Étendardstrike aircraft.Ambuscade detected the aircraft at 30 miles and the missile launch at 22 miles, first with radar then visually, and firedchaff decoys in an attempt to confuse the missiles' seekers. Both missiles then locked on toSSAtlantic Conveyor impacting her port quarter, and setting her on fire.Atlantic Conveyor sank whilst under tow on 28 May.^[3] On the night of 13 June she fired 228 4.5-inch shells in support of2 Para'sassault of Wireless Ridge.

On 27 April 1983,Ambuscade was conducting tactical manoeuvres with ships of theUnited States Navy in theIndian Ocean. During the course of the exercise, she collided with the guided missile cruiserUSS Dale, resulting in part of her bow being torn away.^[4]Ambuscade was laid up inBombay for six weeks while a new bow was constructed and fitted.^[5] Whilst laid up, some of the crew performed as extras in the filmOn Wings of Fire. There was enough damage to haveDaledry docked when she returned toJacksonville, Florida.^{[citation needed]}Ambuscade was in collision with the trawlerEster Colleen in heavy fog offTorbay on 26 October 1983. The trawler was badly holed in the collision.^[6]

From November 1983 to February 1984,Ambuscade served as a West Indies Guardship.^[7][8] On 8 June 1984,Ambuscade went to the assistance of theschoonerStena of Sitoo, which had struck an object in theNorth Sea and been holed below the waterline.^[9]

In late 1984, suffering from cracking in her hull, she was taken in for refitting, with a steel plate being welded down each side of the ship. At the same time modifications were made to reduce hull noise and four Exocet launchers were added in front of the bridge.

In 1993, she was decommissioned and sold to Pakistan and recommissioned asPNSTariq, and remains in active service.

In December 2021, it was announced that it was hoped that when decommissioned, she could be returned to the United Kingdom for preservation as a museum ship.^[10]

In February 2023, it was announced that the Royal Navy was backing the plan to return her to the United Kingdom and will be preserved inGlasgow.^[11]

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.OCLC 67375475.
• Critchley, Mike (1992).British Warships Since 1945: Part 5: Frigates. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Press.ISBN 0-907771-13-0.
• Marriott, Leo (1983).Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983. Surrey: Ian Allan Ltd.ISBN 978-0-7110-1322-3.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toHMS Ambuscade (F172).

• "Home".HMS 'Ambuscade' Association.

• Type 21 frigates
• Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom
• 1973 ships
• Ships built on the River Clyde

• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from October 2020
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from April 2022
• Commons category link is on Wikidata