HMS Birmingham (D86)

HMS Birmingham (D86) was a Type 42 Batch 3 guided missile destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was the fifth ship to bear the name. Birmingham was built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-Furness.

Entering service in 1976, Birmingham served in various roles, including deployments to the South Atlantic, the Persian Gulf, and other regions. As a Type 42 destroyer, she was primarily designed for air defence, utilizing the Sea Dart missile system.

She underwent a significant refit during her service life, including upgrades to her electronic warfare capabilities and other systems.

Birmingham was decommissioned in 1999 and subsequently sold for scrap. Her Sea Dart missile system was later used as part of the land-based Sea Viper system testing programme. Her pennant number, D86, identifies her as a destroyer within the Royal Navy's system of hull classification.