Type 82 destroyer

The Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer was a 1960s guided missile destroyer design intended to replace County-class destroyers in the Royal Navy. Originally eight warships were planned to provide area air-defence for the four planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers. They would also have been able to operate independently as modern cruisers "East of Suez". Anti-aircraft capability was provided by the new Sea Dart missile system and the class also had anti-submarine capability. The CVA-01s were all cancelled by 1966, eliminating one of the main roles for the class and removing the need for such a large warship. In its place a smaller design carrying Sea Dart for air defence entered service as the Type 42 class. One Type 82, HMS Bristol, was ordered to act as a testbed for the various technologies to be used on future ships. Sometimes described as a "light cruiser", she was officially classified as a destroyer.