The County class was a class of British guided missile destroyers , the first such warships built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Seaslug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war environment.
Eight ships were built and entered service. Two served in the British naval task force in the Falklands War in After leaving British service, four ships were sold to the Chilean Navy and one to the Pakistan Navy. The final four County-class ships, with hull numbers 07 to 10, were delayed in while an anti-submarine escort carrier was considered.
Hulls 07 and 08 were approved in as a temporary stopgap, [ 6 ] [ 7 ] and the ninth and tenth hulls were cancelled. The class was designed as a hybrid cruiser-destroyer with dimensions similar to the broad-beam Dido class. During β a full "alternative" gun armament was an option for the new Fast Escort for the fleet [ 12 ] based on a modern combined gas turbine and steam turbine COSAG propulsion unit and armed with two twin 4. A detailed March study following the Suez Crisis and the Defence White Paper decided to increase the size of the new missile destroyers to that of light cruisers and include some cruiser features [ 13 ] [ 14 ] The study opted for a ft m long hull with a fit of 18 Seaslug and four nuclear warhead fitted Seaslug for extended range anti-aircraft, anti-missile and anti-ship.
A revised design in March added Seaslug and Seacat missiles and a telescoping aircraft hangar. Mountbatten staged an impressive demonstration shoot for flag officers and politicians: the Seaslug test ship HMS Girdle Ness launched ten Seaslugs, including a salvo of two Seaslugs together. The success included hits in the lethal zone of two piston-engine Fairey Firefly radio-controlled drones at 16 km 9.
While the missile worked against level flying targets, the beam guidance system was dubious at range and in rough water and eight fixed stabilisers were added to the design of the County-class.
