Oliver Hazard Perry class Guided Missile Frigate - FFG
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie. 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 destroyers. They operated in an anti-submarine role to protect amphibious landing forces, supply and replenishment groups, and merchant convoys. Fifty-five ships were built in the United States: 51 for the United States Navy and four for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). In addition, eight were built in the Republic of China (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, Poland, Pakistan, and Turkey. Design and construction: The ships were designed by the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine in partnership with the New York-based naval architects Gibbs & Cox. 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 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters, while the short-hulled warships carry the smaller and less-capable SH-2 Seasprite 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 shipyards constructed Oliver Hazard Perry-class ships for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy (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 China 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, Egypt, 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 Constructors, 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 warfare guided-missile warships intended to provide open-ocean escort of amphibious warfare ships and merchant ship convoys in moderate threat environments in a potential war with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact 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 carrier 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, LAMPS 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. Modifications: United States The U.S. Navy is modifying its remaining Perrys to reduce their operating costs, replacing Detroit Diesel Company electrical generators 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-1MR, became outmoded. The "zone-defense" anti-aircraft warfare (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 Penguin anti-ship missile. 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 CIWS 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 "Nulka" 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. On June 16, 2009, Vice Adm. Barry McCullough turned down the suggestion of Rep. Mel Martinez to keep the Perrys in service, citing their worn-out and maxed-out condition. However, Reps. Ander Crenshaw and Gene Taylor have taken up the cause. Australia Australia is spending one billion Australian dollars to upgrade Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Adelaide-class guided-missile frigates, including equipping them to fire the SM-2 version of the Standard missile, adding an eight-cell Mk-41 vertical launch system for Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, and installing better air-search radars and long-range sonar. The first of the upgraded frigates, HMAS Sydney, returned to the RAN fleet in 2005. Each of the four frigates to be upgraded have the work at the Garden Island 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 system. 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. HMAS Canberra was decommissioned on 12 November 2005 at naval base HMAS Stirling in Western Australia and HMAS Adelaide was decommissioned at that same naval base on 20 January 2008. Turkey The Turkish Navy has commenced the modernization of its G class frigates with the GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi) combat management system. 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 ASIST landing platform system at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard, 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 launchers, similar to the case in the modernization program of the Australian Adelaide class frigates. There are also plans for new components to be installed that are being developed for the Milgem 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 Aselsan and Turkish-made hull-mounted sonars. One of the G class frigates will also be used as a test-bed for Turkey's 4,500-ton TF-2000 class anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) frigates that are currently being designed by the Turkish Naval Institute. Operators: Australia (Adelaide class): The Royal Australian Navy purchased six frigates. Four of them were built in the United States while the other two were built in Australia. They are being upgraded since 2005, with the addition of an eight-cell Mk 41 VLS with 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM) missiles, and the Standard Missile SM-2, plus upgraded radars and sonars. Bahrain: The USS Jack Williams (FFG-24), a gift of the American government in 1996, and re-christened Sabha (F 90). Egypt (Mubarak class frigates): 4 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates were transferred from the U.S. Navy. Pakistan: 6 to be transferred, FFG-8 McInerney transferred to Pakistani Navy in August, 2010. Poland: 2 frigates were transferred from the U.S. Navy in 2002 and 2003. Republic of China (Cheng Kung class): Taiwanese-built. 8 ships equipped with eight Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles, PFG-1101 and PFG-1105 now carrying four HF-2 and four HF-3 supersonic AShM. The rest of the ships in the class 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, for US$40 million, two additional Perry-class frigates that are about to be retired from the U.S. Navy. Spain (Santa Maria class): Spanish-built: 6 frigates. Turkey (Gabya - G class): 8former U.S. Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates have been transferred to the Turkish Navy. All eight are undergoing extensive modernization, and they are now know 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 Sparrow missiles for close-in, as well as their longer-range SM-1 missiles; advanced digital fire control systems and new Turkish-made sonars.
Ships:
(short hull version)				in service	fate
FFG 7 USS Oliver Hazard Perry				1977	scrapped
FFG 9 USS Wadsworth				1978	transferred to Poland as ORP General T. Kosciuszko (F 273)
FFG 10 USS Duncan				1980	transferred to Turkey as parts hulk
FFG 11 USS Clark				1980	transferred to Poland as ORP General K. Pulaski (F 272)
FFG 12 USS George Philip				1980
FFG 13 USS Samuel Eliot Morison				1980	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gokova (F 496)
FFG 14 USS Sides				1981
FFG 15 USS Estocin				1981	transferred to Turkey as TCG Goksu (F 497)
FFG 16 USS Clifton Sprague				1981	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gaziantep (F 490)
FFG 19 USS John A. Moore				1981	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gediz (F 495)
FFG 20 USS Antrim				1981	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gemlik (F 492)
FFG 21 USS Flatley				1981	transferred to Turkey as TCG Giresun (F 491)
FFG 22 USS Fahrion				1982	transferred to Egypt as Sharm-El-Sheik (F 901)
FFG 23 USS Lewis B. Puller				1982	transferred to Egypt as Toushka (F 906)
FFG 24 USS Jack Williams				1981	transferred to Bahrain as Sabha (F 90)
FFG 25 USS Copeland				1982	transferred to Egypt as Mubarak (F 911)
FFG 26 USS Gallery				1981	transferred to Egypt as Taba (F 916)
FFG 27 USS Mahlon S. Tisdale				1982	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gokceada (F 494)
FFG 30 USS Reid				1983	transferred to Turkey as TCG Gelibolu (F 493)
FFG 31 USS Stark				1982	scrapped
FFG 34 USS Aubrey Fitch				1982	scrapped
(long hull version)				in service	fate
FFG 8 USS McInerney				1979	transferred to Pakistan as PNS Alamgir (F 260)
FFG 28 USS Boone				1982
FFG 29 USS Stephen W. Groves				1982
FFG 32 USS John L. Hall				1982
FFG 33 USS Jarrett				1983
FFG 36 USS Underwood				1983
FFG 37 USS Crommelin				1983
FFG 38 USS Curts				1983
FFG 39 USS Doyle				1983
FFG 40 USS Halyburton				1983
FFG 41 USS McClusky				1983
FFG 42 USS Klakring				1983
FFG 43 USS Thach				1984
FFG 45 USS DeWert				1983
FFG 46 USS Rentz				1984
FFG 47 USS Nicholas				1984
FFG 48 USS Vandegrift				1984
FFG 49 USS Robert G. Bradley				1984
FFG 50 USS Taylor				1984
FFG 51 USS Gary				1984
FFG 52 USS Carr				1985
FFG 53 USS Hawes				1985
FFG 54 USS Ford				1985
FFG 55 USS Elrod				1985
FFG 56 USS Simpson				1985
FFG 57 USS Reuben James				1986
FFG 58 USS Samuel B. Roberts				1986
FFG 59 USS Kauffman				1987
FFG 60 USS Rodney M. Davis				1987
FFG 61 USS Ingraham				1989
Destroyer Squadron 1 steaming in formation USS Sides (FFG 14), USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG 27), USS Duncan (FFG 10), USS Copeland (FFG 25), USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23), USS George Philip (FFG 12) and USS Wadsworth (FFG 9)
Specifications (US Navy ships only):
Builders:	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine: FFG 8, 11, 13, 15, 29, 32, 36, 39, 42, 45, 49, 50, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59. Todd Shipyards, Seattle, Washington: FFG 28, 31, 37, 40, 48, 52. Todd Shipyards, San Pedro, California: FFG 9, 12, 14, 19, 23, 30, 33, 38, 41, 43, 46, 51, 54, 57, 60, 61.
Displacement	"short hull": 3800 tons (full) (3860 metric tons) "long hull": 4100 tons (full) (4166 metric tons)
Length	"short hull": 445 feet (133,50 meters) "long hull": 453 feet (135,90 meters)
Beam	45 feet (13,50 meters)
Draft	24,5 feet (7,50 meters)
Max Speed	29+ knots (54+ km/h)
Propulsion	2 General Electric LM-2500 gas turbines; 1 shaft; 1 propeller (5 blades); 41000 shaft horsepower; 1 rudder;
Aircraft	"short hull": 2 SH-2F 'Seasprite' (LAMPS I) helicopter (retired in 1993); "long hull": 2 SH-60 'Seahawk' (LAMPS III) helicopters;
Armament as built	1 Mk.13 Mod.4 missile launcher (36 RIM-66 Standard / SM-1MR and 4 Harpoon missiles); 1 Mk.75 76mm/62cal (3 inch) rapid firing gun; 2 Mk.32 triple-torpedo tubes (24 Mk-46 torpedos); 2 Mk.38/25mm machine guns; M2/.50 cal. Machine Guns; 1 Mk.15 Phalanx CIWS
Systems	AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-55 Surface Search Radar Mk92 Fire Control System AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System AN/SQS-56 Sonar Mk36 SRBOC Decoy System AN/SQR-19 Towed Array Sonar System AN/SQQ-89 ASW Integration System
Complement	approx. 220
armament photo page (click on the image to open)			inside an OHP Frigate (click on the image to open)				inside photos during construction (click on the image to open)
for more detail photos see the special report: USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) - port visit - Koper, Slovenia, 2010
Foreign customers of Oliver Hazard Perry class Guided Missile Frigates
Royal Australian Navy (Adelaide class) – US built (4 ships)
FFG 01 HMAS Adelaide (1980)
FFG 02 HMAS Canberra (1981)
FFG 03 HMAS Sydney (1983)
FFG 04 HMAS Darwin (1984)
Royal Australian Navy (Adelaide class) – Australian built (2 ships)
FFG 05 HMAS Melbourne (1992)
FFG 06 HMAS Newcastle (1993)
Spanish Navy (Santa Maria class) – Spanish built (6 ships)
F 81 SPS Santa Maria (1986)
F 82 SPS Victoria (1987)
F 83 SPS Numancia (1989)
F 84 SPS Reina Sofia (1990)
F 85 SPS Navarra (1994)
F 86 SPS Canarias (1995)
Taiwanese Navy (Cheng Kung class) – Taiwanese built (8 ships)
FFG 1101 ROCS Cheng Kung (1993)
FFG 1103 ROCS Cheng Ho (1994)
FFG 1105 ROCS Chi Kuang (1995)
FFG 1106 ROCS Yueh Fei (1996)
FFG 1107 ROCS Tzu I (1997)
FFG 1108 ROCS Pan Chao (1997)
FFG 1109 ROCS Chang Chien (1998)
FFG 1110 ROCS Tian Dan (2004)
class variations:
Oliver Hazard Perry class (short hull) - with SH-2 “Seasprite” helicopter Oliver Hazard Perry class (long hull) - with SH-60B “Seahawk” helicopter Oliver Hazard Perry class (long hull) - with SH-60B “Seahawk” helicopter, after removal of the Mk-13 missile launcher line drawings by shipbucket.com
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