[1] The ship was laid down at Alexander Stephen and Sons Linthouse, Glasgow shipyard on 25 July 1963, was launched on 19 December 1964 and completed on 14 May 1966.

An MRS3 fire control system was carried over the ship's bridge to direct the 4.5-inch guns, while a GWS22 director for Seacat was mounted on the hangar roof.

[9] In April 1970, Phoebe left her Mozambique patrol to assist in the Indian Ocean as part of an Apollo 13 splashdown secondary task force.

That same year, Phoebe was guard ship during talks between British Prime Minister Edward Heath and U.S. President Richard Nixon.

She suffered minor damage when the frigate Berwick collided with her whilst attempting to leave Portsmouth Harbour during the first week in November 1971.

Her single 4.5-inch twin turret was removed in favour of the Exocet anti-ship missile system, giving her a powerful anti-surface capability.

[12] In September 1982, Phoebe deployed to the South Atlantic in the aftermath of the Falklands War, and performed a number of duties, though mainly patrolling in that region.

In 1988, Phoebe again served under Standing Naval Force Atlantic and took part in the rescue effort in the tragic aftermath of the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion in the North Sea, which killed 167 people.