Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Achilles (F12)
Operator:	Royal Navy
Builder:	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down:	1 December 1967
Launched:	21 November 1968
Commissioned:	9 July 1970
Decommissioned:	January 1990
Fate:	Sold to Chilean Navy
Career (Chile)
Name:	Ministro Zenteno
Namesake:	José Ignacio Zenteno
Operator:	Chilean Navy
Commissioned:	8 January 1991
Decommissioned:	August 2006
General characteristics
Class and type:	Leander class frigate

HMS Achilles (F12) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. Batch 1 The first batch comprising 8 ships and built between 1963 and 1965 were general purpose alternatives to the far more expensive single-role classes such as the Rothesay The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) She was built by Yarrow at Glasgow. Yarrow (Shipbuilders Limited (YSL often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipyard now part of BVT Surface Fleet, a joint venture between BAE Systems Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom She was launched on 21 November 1968 and commissioned on 9 July 1970. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Unlike other ships, Achilles would not undergo Exocet modernisation due to the 1981 defence review by John Nott. The Exocet is a French -built Anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels submarines and airplanes Sir John William Frederic Nott (born 1 February 1932 in Bideford, Devon) is a former British Conservative Party Politician prominent In 1970, Achilles deployed to the Far East where there was, at that time, a large British naval presence. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. She escorted a number of larger vessels while there, including Eagle. Service Her first wartime service came in 1956 when she took part in the Suez Crisis.

In 1974, Achilles joined the 3rd Frigate Squadron, and later that year deployed to the Far East on a nine-month deployment as part of Task Group 317. 2. The Task Group (TG) visited a number of African ports on their way to the Far East and Indian Ocean, including South Africa, a visit that caused some controversy back in the UK at the time. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The TG visited a variety of ports in the Far East and took part in a number of exercises, Achilles was active as a radio relay vessel during the fall of South Vietnam.

Upon the TG's return from the Far East, they made their way around the Cape of Good Hope to South America where a large exercise with the Brazilian Navy known as, which included Ark Royal, took place. The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil is the Navy of Brazil and forms part of the Brazilian Armed Forces. Construction and modifications Ark Royal was the sister ship to HMS ''Eagle'' which was initially named HMS ''Audacious'', hence the name of the class Achilles returned to the UK in June 1975. Later that year, Achilles collided with the Greek tanker Olympic Alliance while in the Dover Strait, causing a number of wounded, as well as heavy damage to Achilles bow. The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait ( French: Pas de Calais, pɑdə kalɛ "Strait of Calais " Dutch: Nauw van It was later repaired. The following year, Achilles joined the Fishery Protection Squadron during the Third Cod War with Iceland. The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (

After her deployment during the Third Cod War, Achilles went on a number of deployments including to the Persian Gulf as-well as being involved in a number of naval exercises. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the In 1982, Achilles deployed to the West Indies as guardship. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The following year, Achilles deployed to the Falkland Islands to patrol the area in the aftermath of the Falklands War. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the Later that year Achilles took part in Exercise Orient Express, which took place in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface She deployed to the Persian Gulf that same year. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the

By the late 1980s, Achilles career was coming to an end. In 1989 she joined the Dartmouth Training Squadron, and in a busy year became the first RN warship to visit East Germany as well as hosting a Dinner to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The Battle of the River Plate ( December 13, 1939) was the first major naval battle in World War II. In January 1990, Achilles decommissioned, ending her eventful career, though only with the Royal Navy. That same year, Achilles was sold to Chile, and was renamed Ministro Zenteno. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the She served in the Chilean Navy until February 2006, when she was retired from service, and decommissioned in August 2006. The Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile is the naval force of Chile.

The HMS Achilles/Ministro Zenteno is now awaiting scrapping and is tied up at a wharf at Chile.

External links

• Chilean Navy site

 United Kingdom