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The Oliver Hazard Perry class of frigates were purchased by the U.S. Navy in the 1970s and 1980s as general-purpose escort vessels capable enough to do most jobs adequately, yet cheap enough to be bought in large quantities to replace aging World War II-era destroyers. They are named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.
Ships The ships were designed by Maine shipyard Bath Iron Works in partnership with New York-based naval architects Gibbs & Cox. FFG-7 (often pronounced "FIG-7") class ships were produced in 445 foot (136 m) "short-hull" (Flight I) and 455 foot (139 m) "long-hull" (Flight III) variants. The long-hull ships (FFG 8, 28, 29, 32, 33, 36-61) carry the SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters, while the short-hull units carry the less-capable SH-2 Seasprite. The principal difference between the long and short hull versions is the relocation of the aft capstan on the long hull version to a step below the level of the flight deck in order to accommodate the tail rotor of the longer Seahawk Helicopter. Long Hull versions also added the RAST (Recovery Assist Securing and Traversing) system for the SH-60, a variant of a hook and winch that could reel in a Seahawk in flight, expanding the pitch and roll envelope in which flight operations were permitted. FFG 8, 29, 32, and 33 were built as short-hull ships but later modified into long-hull ships. U.S. yards constructed FFG-7 class ships for the United States and Australia. Early U.S.-built Australian ships were originally of the short-hull type and modified in the 1980s to the long-hull standard. Yards in Australia, Spain, and Taiwan have produced variants of the long-hull design for their navies; production continues in Taiwan. Although costs rose dramatically over the production run, all 50 ships planned for the USN were eventually built. Some Perry-class vessels are slated to remain in U.S. service for years, but many have been decommissioned. Some of these have been transferred to foreign countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Poland, and Turkey; several have replaced modernized World War II destroyers again - the same ex-US destroyers transferred abroad in the 1970s and 1980s. Upgrades The active long-hull Perrys are being modified to reduce operating costs. The Detroit Diesel generators are being replaced with modern Caterpillar units and the Mk13 single arm missile launcher is being removed because the missile it is meant to fire, the Standard SM-1MR has outlived its service life. It would be costly to refit the SM-1MRs, which have marginal ability to bring down sea-skimming missiles. (One of the other reasons for the withdrawal is to conserve what little support remains for the SM-1MR, which is still used by countries such as Poland and Taiwan, for US allies that need it most.) With the removal of the Mk13 launcher the Perry FFG also loses Harpoon capability (although its SH-60 Seahawk helicopter complement can carry shorter-ranged Penguin anti-ship missiles) and their "zone-defence" AAW capability, and are reduced to a "point-defence" type of AAW armament. The U.S. Navy plans to update the Perrys' CIWS to Block 1B, which will allow the Mk15 20mm Phalanx gun to shoot fast-moving surface craft and helicopters. The FFGs are also to be fitted with the Mk53 DLS Nulka missile decoy system, which will be better than the chaff and flares at guarding against anti-ship missiles. It is also rumored that the Mk75 76mm gun is to be removed. That would strip the ship of all offensive weapons save its two triple-tube torpedo launchers and the torpedoes and missiles aboard its SH-60 helicopters. Baptism of fire Perry-class frigates made the news twice during the 1980s. Despite being small, these frigates were shown to be extremely durable. The Persian Gulf was a dangerous place to be during the Iran-Iraq War, and on 17 May 1987, USS ''Stark'' (FFG-31) was attacked, apparently accidentally, by an Iraqi warplane. Struck by two Exocet anti-ship missiles, thirty-seven American sailors died in the deadly prelude to the U.S.'s Operation Earnest Will, the reflagging and escorting of oil tankers through the Persian Gulf. Less than a year later, on 14 April 1988, the frigate USS ''Samuel B. Roberts'' (FFG-58) was nearly sunk by an Iranian mine. No lives were lost, but 10 sailors were medevaced from the ship. The U.S. retaliated four days later with Operation Praying Mantis, a one-day attack on Iranian oil platforms being used as bases for raids on merchant shipping, which included the minelaying operations that damaged the Roberts. Both frigates were repaired in U.S. yards and returned to service. Specifications U.S.-built units Australian-built units Spanish-built units Taiwanese-built units Further reading | ||||||||
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