MONTROSE Fired Everything – the Type 23 Frigate MONTROSE unleashing every weapon aboard, missiles, guns, torpedoes and decoys were all loosed in a display of total firepower known in the Royal Navy as a ‘grand slam’.   Over seven days off the coasts of Scotland and Wales in the Exercise Joint Warrior serial the “ordnance odyssey” – believed to be the first time a Type 23 Frigate has unleashed as much firepower in a single week – began with a rare launching of two HARPOON anti-ship missiles in the mid-Atlantic.    That was quickly followed by the SEA GNAT chaff dispensers scattering decoys to distract incoming homing missiles.    Next up was the very rare launch of the onboard STINGRAY torpedoes.   Typically fired by the Frigate’s embarked LYNX HMA.8 or MERLIN HM.1 the Type 23 Frigates also carry four tubes – the Magazine Torpedo Launching System – to launch the weapon (which was subsequently recovered from the sea of Hebrides).    A day of small arms and close range gunnery against floating targets using the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun, plus a pair of Mk44 Miniguns and all the ship’s General Purpose Machine Guns were discharged.      After that the main 4.5in gun – billed by her Weapons Engineering Department as “the most reliable turret in the fleet” was let loose.   To complete the “Grand Slam” the penultimate weapon system to be tested was the SEA WOLF missile system – the main line of defence against attacking enemy aircraft and missiles.    The final piece of the Grand Slam jigsaw was a ceremonial firing of the saluting gun, fired seven times as MONTROSE returned to Plymouth Sound.  The MONTROSE was fine tuning all aboard and is now about to start a final period of maintenance ahead  the expected six month deployment shortly.