The RN goes nuclear;
The Type 82 destroyer was designed as an aerial-defence ship to replace the four Admiral Class conversions. The ship was designed around the NIGS system. NIGS (New naval Guided weapons System), comprised a long-range missile to counter a Mach 3 target flying at 70,000ft. It was allied to the Type 985 phased-array 3-D radar (in effect a digital tranisitorised Type 984). Guidance was by four navalised Type 87 radars (used for land-based missiles) which became the Type 909. The Admiralty also wanted a new medium-range SAM which became SIGS (Small ship Intergrated Guided weapon System). Bristol developed a ramjet powered missile to meet both programmes, the basic SIGS medium-range missile (aka the Sea Dart) and from it made a long-range missile with a large rocket booster with a range performance equal to the US Talos. Shortly after development began interest was raised in the Australian Ikara stand-off ASW weapon, Bristol then won a contract with Sub Dart, basically the NIGS booster attached to a new forward homing-torpedo section to create a surface-launched SUBROC-style weapon. The bow sonar was the Type 1001, based on SSN sets for long-range search and attack capability. Due to the sheer electrical needs of the four Type 985 arrays and sonar nuclear power was the only option and a UK-built US powerplant was used. Other armament comprised a single 3in L/70 automatic mount, two qaudruple SeaCat 2 supersonic short-range SAM launchers and a Wessex in a hangar aft. Four ships were built, commissioning between 1973 and 1978.