High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! HMS Achilles (F12) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow at Glasgow. She was launched on 21 November 1968 and commissioned on 9 July 1970. Unlike other ships, Achilles would not undergo Exocet modernisation due to the 1981 defence review by John Nott. In 1970, Achilles deployed to the Far East where there was, at that time, a large British naval presence. She escorted a number of larger vessels while there, including Eagle.