In September 1976, "Norfolk" took over the UK's commitment to Standing Naval Force Atlantic. She decommissioned in 1981 to become the Dartmouth Training Ship. Now of marginal naval value in the North Atlantic, even the Exocets being a light short ranged missile compared with the Soviet counters, Norfolk was inevitably a candidate for early pay off for third world or Commonwealth sales and was first offered, to New Zealand about the start of 1981. Its main selling point was seaworthiness, good range and current data links to both the RN and USN.