Updated 01 August 2002, 18.42

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They have revealed they are going to blow apart two of its old ships in target practice!

The frigates - HMS Boxer and HMS Brave - are said to be worth a whopping £400m and aren't needed anymore.

But warship experts say it's silly that the ships are being destroyed when they are not even out of date or that old.

Old enemies

			Fact File
	Frigate facts
		Two main kinds: Type 22 and 23
		Frigates used to hunt submarines
		Cruise at 18 knots but sprint to 30 knots
		Armed with Sea Wolf missile defence systems
		Also carry Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes
		Armed with Mk 11 depth charges

The two frigates to be trashed were built in the mid-1980s to hunt down Russian submarines.

At that time, the former Soviet Union and Britain weren't very friendly. But now Russia and Britain are friends, so there's no need to have as many of the expensive boats around.

The Navy say using old boats as real-life targets is very important to test how good their weapons are.

They strip the boats of all useful equipment before they blow them up. And they get rid of all the fuel and oil in them so as not to damage the environment.

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