Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: January 1992
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down: 12 October 1992
Launched: 25 June 1994
Sponsored by: Lady Elspeth Layard
Commissioned: 20 September 1996
Homeport: HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Motto: Foy pour Devoir
"Faith for Duty"
Status: in active service

General characteristics

Class and type: 'Duke'-class Type 23 frigate
Displacement: 4,900 tonnes
Length: 133 m (463 ft 3 in)
Beam: 16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
Propulsion: CODLAG (Combined Diesel-eLectric And Gas)
2 × Rolls-Royce Spey boost gas-turbines
4 × Paxman Valenta diesel engines
2 × GEC electric motors
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h)
15 knots (28 km/h) on diesel-electric
Range: 7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement: 185
Armament:
* 2 x quadruple Harpoon launchers total of 8 harpoons
* 1 x Sea Wolf GWS.26 VLS total of 32 missiles
* 2 x twin 12.75in (324mm) tubes for Stingray ASW torpedoes total of 24 torpedoes
* 1 x 4.5-inch Mk 8 DP gun
* 2 x 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun
* 2 x CIWS
* Seagnat and DFL3 decoy launchers

Aircraft carried:
1 × Lynx HMA8[2] Armed with anti submarine torpedoes or anti ship missiles

HMS Somerset is the eleventh of the class to join the fleet since 1989. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd on the River Clyde, in Scotland and was launched in June 1994 by Lady Elspeth Layard, wife of then 2nd Sea Lord Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command Admiral Sir Michael Layard. She entered service in 1996. Lady Layard is the ship's sponsor.

The fourth HMS Somerset to serve in the Royal Navy, she has four battle honours from Vigo Bay (1702), Velez Malaga (1704), Louisburg (1758) and Quebec (1759). The previous ships all served during the 18th Century and ensured that the name HMS Somerset played a significant part in that period of naval history.

HMS Somerset's home port is HMNB Devonport. The ship has the Freedom of the City of Wells and is also affiliated with the County of Somerset, the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the 2nd and 4th Battalions of The Rifles (inherited from affiliation with the Royal Green Jackets Regiment), TS Weston and TS Queen Elizabeth Sea Cadet Units, Downside, Baytree and Helles Schools, Bridgwater College and the Somerset Legion House of The Royal British Legion. The 19th Duke of Somerset takes a keen interest in the ship and is a regular visitor, and the ship also hosted Harry Patch, Simon Weston (in place of Johnson Beharry) and Marcus Trescothick whilst docked at Avonmouth for a remembrance service to launch the 2008 British Legion Poppy Appeal.

In 2007, the first at-sea firing trials of the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) new DS30M 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun (ASCG) system were completed by HMS Somerset.

On 18 February 2009, Somerset sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson, She is joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock HMS Bulwark, as Hudson's flagship, Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) HMS Ocean, Type 23 Frigate HMS Argyll and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.