Executive

The Executive Department is responsible for the command of the ship. The First Lieutenant (Executive Officer "XO") has overall responsibility of the Department. This department has direct responsibility for the Medical, Physical Training and Seamanship aspects of the ship. In addition the discipline in the ship is maintained by the regulators who also answer to the XO.

Warfare

The Warfare Team is responsible for the control and direction of the ship's weapons. The major offensive weapons are the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which has an effective range of over 60 miles. The 114mm (4.5 inch) Mk8 Gun is used for shore bombardment in support of land troops, but also has an anti-ship role. The defensive weapons include the Sea Wolf missile system and the Goalkeeper Gatling gun, which protect against sea-skimming missiles and enemy aircraft. Further information can be found at the Weapons section. The heart of the ship is the Operations Room manned by some 40 personnel. Radar, Sonar and other sensors feed their information into the computer system, which displays all data rapidly to the Command for them to evaluate and counter any threats to the ship.

Flight

Although not immediately obvious, the Lynx is the most flexible weapon system on the ship, maintained by a small but highly skilled team of air engineers. The Lynx can deliver Stingray torpedoes and depth charges against submarines, but can also engage surface targets with the Sea Skua missile. The helicopter can conduct many other missions including surface surveillance, passenger and stores transfers, the dropping of sonobouys for joint anti-submarine operations and air sea rescue missions when configured for that role.

Marine Engineering

This department maintains all of the non-weapon related machinery. The ship uses two types of main engines. The Tyne and Spey are both Rolls Royce gas turbines. The Tynes are used for cruising speeds, and the ship can cover some 4,000 nautical miles without refuelling. The Spey are used for short sprints up to 30 kts. Four 1-Megawatt Paxman diesel generators provide electrical power for all the ships needs through some 1,500 miles of cabling. The machinery is controlled and monitored from the Ships Control Centre, which is manned 24 hours a day.

Weapon Engineering

The task of the Weapon Engineering Department is to maintain the ship's weapon systems, sensors, communication equipment, navigational aids to a high state of readiness. A skilled team of Artificers and Mechanics use sophisticated diagnostic tools to assist them in this task.

Supply

The Supply Department looks after the catering, the stores and the general administration that is essential to maintain an efficient fighting ship at sea. The chefs, stewards, stores accountants and writer specialisations all belong to the supply department. The NAAFI facilities on board HM warships are also run through the Supply department.