The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of
frigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s named after the American
CommodoreCommodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...
Oliver Hazard PerryUnited States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
, the hero of the naval
Battle of Lake ErieThe Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
. Also known as the Perry or FFG-7 class, the warships were designed in the United States in the mid-1970s as general-purpose escort vessels inexpensive enough to be bought in large quantities to replace World War II-era
destroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and 1960s-era
KnoxUSS Knox was the prototype and lead ship in a new class of destroyer escorts in the United States Navy. She was the second ship to be named for Commodore Dudley Wright Knox....
(FF-1052) class frigates. Intended to protect amphibious landing forces, supply and replenishment groups, and merchant convoys from submarines, they also later were part of battleship-centric surface action groups and aircraft carrier battle groups/strike groups. Fifty-five ships were built in the United States: 51 for the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and four for the
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN). In addition, eight were built in the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan), six in Spain, and two in Australia for their navies. Former U.S. Navy warships of this class have been sold or donated to the navies of Bahrain, Egypt,
PolandThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
, Pakistan, and
TurkeyThe Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
.
Design and construction
The ships were designed by the
Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
shipyardShipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in partnership with the
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based naval architects
Gibbs & CoxGibbs & Cox is a U.S. naval architecture firm that specializes in designing surface warships. Founded in 1922 in New York City, Gibbs & Cox is now headquartered in Arlington, Virginia....
.
The Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships were produced in 445-foot (136 meter) long "short-hull" (Flight I) and 453-foot (138 meter) long "long-hull" (Flight III) variants. The long-hull ships (FFG 8, 28, 29, 32, 33, and 36-61) carry the larger
SH-60 SeahawkThe Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
LAMPS III helicopters, while the short-hulled warships carry the smaller and less-capable
SH-2 SeaspriteThe Kaman SH-2 Seasprite is a ship-based helicopter with anti-submarine, anti-surface threat capability, including over-the-horizon targeting. This aircraft extends and increases shipboard sensor and weapon capabilities against several types of enemy threats, including submarines of all types,...
LAMPS I. Aside from the lengths of their hulls, the principal difference between the versions is the location of the aft capstan: on long-hull ships, it sits a step below the level of the flight deck in order to provide clearance for the tail rotor of the longer Seahawk helicopters. The long-hull ships also carry the RAST (Recovery Assist Securing and Traversing) system for the Seahawk, a hook, cable, and winch system that can reel in a Seahawk from a hovering flight, expanding the ship's pitch-and-roll range in which flight operations are permitted. The FFG 8, 29, 32, and 33 were built as "short-hull" warships but were later modified into "long-hull" warships.
American
shipyardShipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s constructed Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships for the U.S. Navy and the
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN). Early American-built Australian ships were originally built as the "short-hull" version, but they were modified during the 1980s to the "long-hull" design. Shipyards in Australia, Spain, and the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
have produced several warships of the "long-hull" design for their navies.
Although the per-ship costs rose greatly over the period of production, all 51 ships planned for the U.S. Navy were built. Some Oliver Hazard Perry-class warships are planned to remain in American service for years, but some of the older ships have been decommissioned and some scrapped. Others of these decommissioned ships have been transferred to the navies of other countries, including
Bahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Poland, Pakistan, and Turkey. Several of these have replaced old Second World War-built American destroyers that had been given to those countries.
During the design phase of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, head of the
Royal Corps of Naval ConstructorsThe Royal Corps of Naval Constructors is an institution of the Royal Navy and British Admiralty for training in naval architecture. It was established by Order in Council in August 1883, on the recommendation of the naval architect Sir William White. It still exists, as a branch of the Naval...
, R.J. Daniels, was invited by an old friend, US Chief of the Bureau of Ships, Adm Robert C Gooding, to advise upon the use of variable-pitch propellers in the class. During the course of this conversation, Daniels warned Gooding against the use of aluminium in the superstructure of the FFG-7 class as he believed it would lead to structural weaknesses. A number of ships subsequently developed structural cracks, including a 40 ft fissure in USS Duncan, before the problems were remedied.
The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates were designed primarily as anti-aircraft and
anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
guided-missile warships intended to provide open-ocean escort of
amphibious warfareAmphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
ships and merchant ship convoys in moderate threat environments in a potential war with the Soviet Union and the
Warsaw PactThe Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
countries. They could also provide air defense against 1970s- and 1980s-era aircraft and anti-ship missiles. These warships are equipped to escort and protect
aircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
battle groups, amphibious landing groups, underway replenishment groups, and merchant ship convoys. They can conduct independent operations to perform such tasks as surveillance of illegal drug smugglers, maritime interception operations, and exercises with other nations.
The addition of the Naval Tactical Display System,
LAMPSLight Airborne Multi-Purpose System is the United States Navy's program that developed manned helicopters that assist the surface fleet in anti-submarine warfare.*SH-2 Seasprite *SH-60 Seahawk...
helicopters, and the Tactical Towed Array System (TACTAS) gave these warships a combat capability far beyond the original expectations. They are well-suited for the littoral regions and most war-at-sea scenarios.
Notable combat actions
Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates made worldwide news twice during the 1980s. Despite being small, these frigates were shown to be extremely durable. During the Iran–Iraq War, on 17 May 1987, the was attacked by an Iraqi warplane. Struck by two Exocet anti-ship missiles, thirty-seven American sailors died in the deadly prelude to the American
Operation Earnest WillOperation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
, the reflagging and escorting of oil tankers through the
Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and the Straits of Hormuz. Less than a year later, on 14 April 1988, the was nearly sunk by an Iranian mine. No lives were lost, but 10 sailors were evacuated from the warship for medical treatment. The Roberts crew battled fire and flooding for 2 days, ultimately managing to save the ship. The U.S. Navy retaliated four days later with
Operation Praying MantisOperation Praying Mantis was an attack on April 18, 1988, by U.S. naval forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship....
, a one-day attack on Iranian oil platforms being used as bases for raids on merchant shipping. Those had included bases for the minelaying operations that damaged the Samuel B. Roberts. Both frigates were repaired in American shipyards and returned to full service. The USS Stark was decommissioned in 1999, and scrapped in 2006.
United States
The U.S. Navy is modifying its remaining Perrys to reduce their operating costs, replacing
Detroit DieselAs a corporation, Daimler Trucks North America has decided to rename the company "DETROIT".Detroit Diesel Corporation is an American-based diesel engine producer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA...
Company
16V149TIThe Detroit Diesel 149 is a series of diesel engines by Detroit Diesel which first came out in the early 1960s.The first configuration was a naturally aspirated 12V149 rated at about soon followed by a naturally aspirated 16V149 rated at about...
electrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s with Caterpillar, Inc.-made diesel engines.
In mid-2000, the Navy removed the frigates' Mk 13 single-arm missile launchers and magazines because the primary missile, the
Standard SM-1MRThe RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
, became outmoded.
The "zone-defense"
anti-aircraft warfareNATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
(AAW) capability has vanished, and all that remains is a "point-defense" type of AAW armament. It would supposedly have been too costly to refit the Standard Missile SM-1MR missiles, which had little ability to bring down sea-skimming missiles. Another reason is to allow more SM-1MRs to go to American allies that operate Perrys, such as Poland, Spain, Australia, Turkey, and the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The loss of the launchers also strips the frigates of their Harpoon anti-ship missiles. However, their Seahawk helicopters can carry the much shorter-range
PenguinThe Penguin anti-ship missile , made by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway from the early 1970s and continually upgraded since, is a passive-IR seeker based short-to-medium range naval guided missile...
and Hellfire anti-ship missiles.
The last nine ships of the class will have new remotely operated 25-mm Mk 38 Mod 2 Naval Gun Systems installed on platforms over the old MK 13 launcher magazine.
The U.S. Navy plans to update the Oliver Hazard Perry-class warships'
Phalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
to the "Block 1B" capability, which will allow the Mk 15 20 mm Phalanx gun to shoot at fast-moving surface craft and helicopters. The remaining Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships are also to be fitted with the Mk 53 DLS "
NulkaNulka is an Australian designed and developed active missile decoy built by an Australian/American collaboration. Used aboard warships of the United States Navy , Royal Australian Navy , United States Coast Guard , and Canadian Forces, Nulka is a rocket propelled, disposable, offboard, active decoy...
" missile decoy system, which will be better than the presently-equipped chaff (SRBOC, Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff) and flares at guarding against anti-ship missiles. The remaining ships will also be outfitted with RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers.
On June 16, 2009, Vice Admiral Barry McCullough turned down the suggestion of then-U.S. Senator
Mel MartinezMelquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
(R-FL) to keep the Perrys in service, citing their worn-out and maxed-out condition. However, U.S. Representative
Ander CrenshawAnder Crenshaw is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
(R-4-FL) and former U.S. Representative
Gene TaylorGary Eugene "Gene" Taylor is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He was defeated for re-election in 2010 by State Rep. Steven Palazzo, who gained 52% of the vote compared to Taylor's 47%. He left office in January 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-4-MS) took up the cause to retain the vessels.
Australia
Australia is spending one billion Australian dollars to upgrade
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN)
Adelaide-classThe Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements...
guided-missile frigates, including equipping them to fire the
SM-2The RIM-67 Standard ER is an extended range surface-to-air missile and anti ship missile originally developed for the United States Navy...
version of the Standard missile, adding an eight-cell
Mk-41 vertical launch system for
Evolved Sea Sparrow missileThe RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
s, and installing better air-search radars and long-range sonar.
The first of the upgraded frigates, , returned to the RAN fleet in 2005. Each of the four frigates to be upgraded have the work at the
Garden IslandGarden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
shipyard in Sydney, Australia, with the modernizations lasting between 18 months and two years. These frigates are planned to be replaced starting in 2013 by three new Hobart-class air warfare destroyers equipped with the
AEGIS combat systemThe Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
. However, the third of those destroyers will not be commissioned until 2017, at the earliest.
The cost will be partly offset, in the short run, by the decommissioning and disposal of the two older frigates. was decommissioned on 12 November 2005 at naval base in
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and was decommissioned at that same naval base on 20 January 2008.
Turkey
The Turkish Navy had commenced the modernization of its
G class frigateThe G class is one of the frigate classes of the Turkish Navy. They are extensively modernized versions of ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class guided-missile frigates, mainly designed for air defense with a weapons configuration that is optimized for general warfare.-Modernization:The G class frigates...
s with the GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi) combat management system in 2007. The first GENESIS upgraded ship was delivered in 2007, and the last delivery is scheduled for 2011. The "short-hull" Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates that are currently part of the Turkish Navy were modified with the
ASISTThe Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse system was developed by Canadian company Indal Technologies. ASIST completed sea trials by July 31, 1992 and production units are in operation with the Chilean Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy, Turkish Navy and United States Navy.-Mode of...
landing platform system at the
Gölcük Naval ShipyardGölcük Naval Shipyard is a naval shipyard of the Turkish Navy within the Gölcük Naval Base on the east coast of the Sea of Marmara in Gölcük, Kocaeli. Established in 1926, the shipyard serves for the building and the maintenance of military vessels...
, so that they can accommodate the S-70B Seahawk helicopters. Turkey is planning to add one eight-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching Systems (VLS) for the Evolved Sea Sparrow missile, to be installed forward of the present
Mk 13 missile launcherThe Mk-13 guided missile launching system is a single-arm missile launcher designed for use on frigates and other military vessels.The Mark 13 is equipped to fire the RIM-66 Standard, RGM-84 Harpoon, and RIM-24 Tartar missiles for anti-air and anti-ship defense, and is capable of firing the...
s, similar to the case in the modernization program of the Australian
Adelaide class frigateThe Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements...
s. F-495 TCG Gediz was the first ship in the class to receive the Mk 41 VLS installation.
There are also plans for new components to be installed that are being developed for the
MilgemThe MİLGEM project, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi , is a Turkish national warship program, the purpose of which is to build a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities, extensively using the principles of stealth technology in its...
class warships (Ada class corvettes and F-100 class frigates) of the Turkish Navy. These include modern Three-dimensional and X-band radars developed by
AselsanAselsan is a Turkish corporation which produces tactical military radios and defense electronic systems for the Turkish Army.- History :...
and Turkish-made hull-mounted sonars. One of the G class frigates will also be used as a test-bed for Turkey's 6,000+ ton TF-2000 class
anti-aircraft warfareNATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
(AAW)
frigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s that are currently being designed by the Turkish Naval Institute.
Operators
(
Adelaide classThe Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements...
): The
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
purchased six frigates. Four of them were built in the United States while the other two were built in Australia. Four of the ships were upgraded with the addition of an eight-cell Mk 41 VLS with 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM) missiles, and the
Standard MissileThe RIM-67 Standard ER is an extended range surface-to-air missile and anti ship missile originally developed for the United States Navy...
SM-2, plus upgraded
radarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s and
sonarSonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
s while the other two ships were decommissioned.: Ex-, purchased from the American government in 1996, and re-christened
SabhaRBNS Sabha is a frigate now in service with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force. The ownership was transferred to Bahrain as a gift on . The frigate was ordered by the US Navy on , and laid down on . It was officially launched by the US Navy on...
.: Four Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates transferred from the U.S. Navy.: Six to be transferred, Ex- transferred to Pakistani Navy in August 2010.
- Two frigates were transferred from the U.S. Navy in 2002 and 2003. (Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) (Cheng Kung classThe Cheng Kung class frigates are based upon the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry class and are currently serving in the Republic of China Navy...
): Taiwanese-built. Originally eight ships were equipped with eight Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles, now all but PFG-1103 are carrying four HF-2 and four HF-3 supersonic AShM. The PFG-1103 Cheng Ho will change the anti-ship mix upon their major overhaul. Seven out of eight ships added Bofors 40 mm/L70 guns for both surface and anti-air use. On August 5, 2010 Taipei's Apple Daily newspaper reported that the U.S. government will sell Taiwan two additional Perry-class frigates that are about to be retired from the U.S. Navy for a cost of US$40 million. (Santa Maria classThe Santa Maria class of frigates are theSpanish Navy's designation for six locally-built warships based on theOliver Hazard Perry-class frigatesof the United States Navy....
): Spanish-built: six frigates. (G classThe G class is one of the frigate classes of the Turkish Navy. They are extensively modernized versions of ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class guided-missile frigates, mainly designed for air defense with a weapons configuration that is optimized for general warfare.-Modernization:The G class frigates...
): Eight former U.S. Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates have been transferred to the Turkish Navy. All have undergone extensive advanced modernization programs, and they are now known as the G Class frigates. The Turkish Navy modernized G Class frigates have an additional Mk-41 Vertical Launch System capable of launching Evolved Sea SparrowThe RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
missiles for close-in, as well as their longer-range SM-1 missiles; advanced digital fire control systems and new Turkish-made sonars.: The U.S. Navy commissioned 51 FFG-7 class frigates between 1977 and 1989. As of early 2011, 27 long-hull Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates remain in active service. Of these, 19 ships are in regular service, while eight ships are in active service with the Naval Reserve Force.
On May 11, 2009, the first International Frigate Working Group met in Mayport Naval Station to discuss maintenance, obsolescence and logistics issues regarding Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships of the U.S. and foreign navies.
The Oliver Hazard Perry frigates
| Ship Name |
Hull No. |
Builder |
Commission–
Decommission |
Fate |
Link |
| U.S.-built |
|
FFG-7 |
Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
|
1977–1997 |
Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 21 April 2006 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG7.htm |
|
FFG-8 |
Bath Iron Works |
1979–2010 |
Transferred to Pakistan as PNS Alamgir (F-260) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG8.htm |
|
FFG-9 |
Todd Pacific Shipyards Vigor Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation through the merger of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company of Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, the Tietjen & Long Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company...
(Todd), San Pedro |
1978–2002 |
Transferred to Poland as ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko (273) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG9.htm |
|
FFG-10 |
Todd, Seattle |
1980–1994 |
Transferred to Turkey as a parts hulk |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG10.htm |
|
FFG-11 |
Bath Iron Works |
1980–2000 |
Transferred to Poland as ORP Gen. K. Pułaski (272) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG11.htm |
|
FFG-12 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1980–2003 |
Stricken, to be disposed of, 24 May 2004. |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG12.htm |
|
FFG-13 |
Bath Iron Works |
1980–2002 |
Transferred to Turkey as TCG Gokova (F 496)USS Samuel Eliot Morison , the seventh Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, was named for Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison , one of America's most distinguished naval historians, who wrote more than 40 books on naval history....
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG13.htm |
|
FFG-14 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1981–2003 |
Stricken, to be disposed of, 24 May 2004. |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG14.htm |
|
FFG-15 |
Bath Iron Works |
1981–2003 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Goksu (F 497) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG15.htm |
|
FFG-16 |
Bath Iron Works |
1981–1995 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Gaziantep (F 490) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG16.htm |
| built for Australia as |
FFG-17 |
Todd, Seattle |
1980–2008 |
Decommissioned, sunk as diving & fishing reef, April 2011 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG17.htm |
| built for Australia as |
FFG-18 |
Todd, Seattle |
1981–2005 |
Decommissioned, sunk as diving & fishing reef, October 2009 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG18.htm |
|
FFG-19 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1981–2000 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Gediz (F 495) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG19.htm |
|
FFG-20 |
Todd, Seattle |
1981–1996 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Giresun (F 491) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG20.htm |
|
FFG-21 |
Bath Iron Works |
1981–1996 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Gemlik (F 492)) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG21.htm |
|
FFG-22 |
Todd, Seattle |
1982–1998 |
transferred to Egypt as Sharm El-Sheik (F 901) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG22.htm |
|
FFG-23 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1982–1998 |
transferred to Egypt as Toushka (F 906) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG23.htm |
|
FFG-24 |
Bath Iron Works |
1981–1996 |
transferred to Bahrain as Sabha (90) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG24.htm |
|
FFG-25 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1982–1996 |
transferred to Egypt as Mubarak (F 911) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG25.htm |
|
FFG-26 |
Bath Iron Works |
1981–1996 |
transferred to Egypt as Taba (F 916) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG26.htm |
|
FFG-27 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1982–1996 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Gokceada (F 494)USS Mahlon S. Tisdale , nineteenth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Vice Admiral Mahlon Street Tisdale . Ordered from Todd Shipyards, San Pedro, California, on 23 January 1978 as part of the FY78 program, Mahlon S...
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG27.htm |
|
FFG-28 |
Todd, Seattle |
1982- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 1998 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG28.htm |
|
FFG-29 |
Bath Iron Works |
1982- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 1997 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG29.htm |
|
FFG-30 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1983–1998 |
transferred to Turkey as TCG Gelibolu (F 493) |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG30.htm |
|
FFG-31 |
Todd, Seattle |
1982–1999 |
Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 21 June 2006 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG31.htm |
|
FFG-32 |
Bath Iron Works |
1982- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG32.htm |
|
FFG-33 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1983–2011 |
Decommissioned, held for future foreign military sale |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG33.htm |
|
FFG-34 |
Bath Iron Works |
1982–1997 |
Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 19 May 2005 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG34.htm |
| built for Australia as |
FFG-35 |
Todd, Seattle |
1983- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG35.htm |
|
FFG-36 |
Bath Iron Works |
1983- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG36.htm |
|
FFG-37 |
Todd, Seattle |
1983- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 2003 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG37.htm |
|
FFG-38 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1983- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 1998 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG38.htm |
|
FFG-39 |
Bath Iron Works |
1983–2011 |
Decommissioned July 29, 2011 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG39.htm |
|
FFG-40 |
Todd, Seattle |
1983- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG40.htm |
|
FFG-41 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1983- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 2002 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG41.htm |
|
FFG-42 |
Bath Iron Works |
1983- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 2002 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG42.htm |
|
FFG-43 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG43.htm |
| built for Australia as |
FFG-44 |
Todd, Seattle |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG43.htm |
|
FFG-45 |
Bath Iron Works |
1983- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG45.htm |
|
FFG-46 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG46.htm |
|
FFG-47 |
Bath Iron Works |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG47.htm |
|
FFG-48 |
Todd, Seattle |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG48.htm |
|
FFG-49 |
Bath Iron Works |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG49.htm |
|
FFG-50 |
Bath Iron Works |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG50.htm |
|
FFG-51 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1984- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG51.htm |
|
FFG-52 |
Todd, Seattle |
1985- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG52.htm |
|
FFG-53 |
Bath Iron Works |
1985–2010 |
Decommissioned, to be cannibalised in Philadelphia |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG53.htm |
|
FFG-54 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1985- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG54.htm |
|
FFG-55 |
Bath Iron Works |
1985- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG55.htm |
|
FFG-56 |
Bath Iron Works |
1985- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 2002 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG56.htm |
|
FFG-57 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1986- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG57.htm |
|
FFG-58 |
Bath Iron Works |
1986- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG58.htm |
|
FFG-59 |
Bath Iron Works |
1987- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG59.htm |
|
FFG-60 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1987- |
Naval Reserve Force, Active since 2002 |
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG60.htm |
|
FFG-61 |
Todd, San Pedro |
1989- |
|
http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/FFG61.htm |
| Australian-built |
|
FFG 05 |
Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated (AMECON), Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
|
1992- |
|
|
|
FFG 06 |
AMECON, Williamstown |
1993- |
|
|
| Spanish-built |
| SPS Santa María SPS Santa María is the lead ship of six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on 22 May 1982 and launched on 11 November 1984, the Santa María was commissioned into service on 12 October 1986....
|
F81 |
Bazan Navantia, formerly Bazán or IZAR, is a Spanish shipbuilding firm, which offers its services to both military and civil sector. It is the fifth largest shipbuilder in Europe, and the ninth largest in the world with shipyards all over Spain....
, Ferrol |
1986- |
|
|
SPS VictoriaSPS Victoria is the second of the six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on August 16, 1983, and launched on July 23, 1986, Victoria was commissioned in service on November 11, 1987....
|
F82 |
Bazan, Ferrol |
1987- |
|
|
| SPS Numancia SPS Numancia is the third of the six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on January 8, 1986, and launched on January 29, 1987, Numancia was commissioned in service on November 17, 1989....
|
F83 |
Bazan, Ferrol |
1989- |
|
|
| SPS Reina Sofía Reina Sofía is the fourth of six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on October 12, 1987, and launched on July 19, 1989, Reina Sofía was commissioned in service on October 30, 1990...
|
F84 |
Bazan, Ferrol |
1990- |
|
|
SPS NavarraSPS Navarra is the fifth of the six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on April 15, 1991, and launched on October 23, 1992, Navarra was commissioned in service on May 27, 1994....
|
F85 |
Bazan, Ferrol |
1994- |
|
|
SPS CanariasSPS Canarias , is the last of the six Spanish-built s, based on the American design, of the Spanish Navy.Laid down on April 15, 1992, and launched on June 21, 1993, Canarias was commissioned in service in 1995....
|
F86 |
Bazan, Ferrol |
1994- |
|
|
| Taiwan-built (Republic of China) |
| ROCS Cheng Kung |
PFG-1101 |
China Shipbuilding CSBC Corporation, Taiwan , CSBC for short, formerly known as China Shipbuilding Corporation is a state-owned enterprise of the Republic of China...
, KaohsiungKaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan |
1993- |
|
|
| ROCS Cheng Ho |
PFG-1103 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1994- |
|
|
| ROCS Chi Kuang |
PFG-1105 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1995- |
|
|
| ROCS Yueh Fei |
PFG-1106 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1996- |
|
|
| ROCS Tzu I |
PFG-1107 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1997- |
|
|
| ROCS Pan Chao |
PFG-1108 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1997- |
|
|
| ROCS Chang Chien ROCS Chang Chien is the seventh of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down in June 1996 and launched in April 1997, Chang Chien was commissioned in November, 1998...
|
PFG-1109 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
1998- |
|
|
| ROCS Tian Dan |
PFG-1110 |
China Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
2004- |
|
|
Further reading
(Operating a Perry frigate) (Contains material on frigates and Perrys in particular) (Attack on the USS Stark (FFG 31) ) (Mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) ) (The origin and construction of the Perrys, from the design shipyard's point of view.)
External links