A ROYAL Navy vessel with links to a North Yorkshire market town will be the first British warship to carry a new type of ammunition.
HMS Richmond, which helped Royal Marines taking coastal positions in the opening days of the war in Iraq, will be the first warship to be supplied with the new shells for its Mark 8 main gun.
The ammunition has been designed for the bombardment of targets ashore in support of ground troops.
With a range of about 27km, it offers a 25 per cent improvement on the previous ammunition.
Another 26 ships will follow HMS Richmond's upgrade, while the new Type 45 destroyers entering service in the next few years will be similarly equipped.
"Extending the range of our warships' main guns with these new and more effective shells will greatly increase the Royal Navy's ability to engage land targets in support of our troops and reduce the exposure of our ships to hostile fire," said Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach.
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