She was laid down by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland, on 13 August 1953, launched on 12 January 1955, and commissioned on 14 March 1957.

The Leopard-class, or Type 41, frigates were designed for a main role of providing anti-aircraft protection for convoys.

[5][8] Lynx was laid down at John Brown & Company's Clydebank shipyard on 13 August 1953,[5] was launched on 12 January 1955 by Mary, Princess Royal[5][10] and commissioned on 14 March 1957,[5] as the first of her class.

[13] On 3 May 1960, Lynx, carrying out trials off Portsmouth, was diverted to search for survivors after a small fishing boat was sunk in a collision with the German tanker Caperata.

[15] In response, Lynx, forming part of a task group off the coast of South America, was ordered to the Falklands, remaining there from 14 October to 11 November.

[13] On 18 September 1970, Lynx found an abandoned 24 ft (7.3 m) long barge adrift off the coast of Johor, Malaysia and towed it back to Singapore.

[17][18] On 30 December 1972, the Japanese cargo ship Kyoryu Maru, carrying a cargo of timber from Selat Panjang to Singapore, sank after a collision with the Japanese tanker Shoen Maru, 30 nmi (35 mi; 56 km) from Singapore.