HMS Amazon (F169) was the first Type 21frigate of the Royal Navy. The ship suffered a fire in the Far East in 1977, drawing attention to the risk of building warships with aluminium superstructure.
Amazon was the only unit of her class to not participate in the Falklands war, as she was in the Persian Gulf at the time.
By the mid-1980s the surviving Type 21s were suffering cracking in the hull and so she was taken in for refitting, with a steel plate being welded down each side of the ship. At the same time modifications were made to reduce hull noise. Four Exocet launchers were also fitted in 'B' position, the last of the class to be so fitted.
Amazon decommissioned and was sold to Pakistan on 30 September1993, being renamed Babur. Exocet was not transferred to Pakistan and Babur had her obsolete Sea Cat launcher removed. A Chinese LY 60N missile launcher was fitted in place of the Exocet launchers. Signaal DA08 air search radar replaced the Type 992 and SRBOC chaff launchers and 20mm and 30mm guns were fitted.