HMS Exeter (D89) is a Type 42 destroyer, the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to be named Exeter, after the city of Exeter in Devon.
Exeter was the first of the slightly modified 'Batch 2' Type 42 destroyers. This was a mid-build consideration with her later sister ship, HMS Southampton sporting a similar weapons and sensors upgrade with no discernible hull modifications. The weapons and sensors fit was the first grouping of the 1022, 992Q and 1006 radars in a British warship.
Early in her first commission, Exeter sported a turquoise hull; this was an experimental co-polymer paint which was only available in a few non-standard colours at the time. The experiment proved successful and the ship's hull was repainted to standard brick red/black during its first docking period, post Operation Corporate.
Her first few years were to be spent patrolling the North Atlantic and European waters until the then Defence Secretary, John Nott, issued his review of the Armed forces. This severely limited Exeter's future programme.
