Knox class frigate

Knox-class frigate USS Robert E. Peary (FF-1073) and the skyline of San Francisco in the background
Class overview
Builders:	Todd Shipyard, Seattle and San Pedro Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Avondale Shipyard
Operators:	United States Navy  Republic of China Navy  Egyptian Navy  Hellenic Navy  Mexican Navy  Royal Thai Navy  Turkish Navy
Preceded by:	Garcia-class frigate / Brooke-class frigate
Succeeded by:	Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
Built:	1965–1974
In commission:	1969–1994 (USN)
Completed:	46
Retired:	46 (USN)
General characteristics
Type:	Frigate
Displacement:	4,260 tons (full load)
Length:	438 ft (134 m)
Beam:	46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
Draft:	24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Propulsion:	1 shaft, one Westinghouse steam turbine, 2 V2M boilers. total 35,000 shp (maximum)
Speed:	over 27 knots (50 km/h)
Complement:	17 officers, 240 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-10 Surface Search Radar AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar AN/SQS-26 active/passive Sonar AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar system AN/SPG-53 Mk68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare & decoys:	As Built AN/WLR-1C – AN/ULQ-6C and AN/SLA-15 (Comprising AN/SLQ-26 System) AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System and Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament:	one Mk-16 8 cell missile launcher for ASROC and Harpoon missiles one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun Mark 46 torpedoes from two dual tube launchers) RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (BPDMS) or Phalanx CIWS
Aircraft carried:	One SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

Knox-class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts (formerly called destroyer escorts), but were all redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975 in the USN 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.

A sub-class of the Knox class was built, commonly referred to as the Hewes class. The primary differences were slightly different arrangement of the "Officer's Country" staterooms with additional staterooms in the 01 level instead of the open deck between the boat decks. The stateroom on the port side under the bridge was designated as a "flag" stateroom, with the additional staterooms for flag staff when serving as a flagship.

The 46 ships of the Knox class were the largest, last and most numerous of the US Navy’s second-generation ASW escorts. The lead ship of the class was USS Knox (FF-1052), laid down 5 October 1965 and commissioned on 12 April 1969, at Todd Shipyards in Seattle. Planned as the follow-on to the twin 5-inch gun armed Garcia-class frigates and the Tartar missile-equipped Brooke-class frigates, their initial design incorporated the prior classes' pressure-fired boilers in a similar-sized hull designed around the massive bow-mounted AN/SQS-26 sonar, with increased endurance and reduced crew size. Anti-submarine armament was to consist of ASROC anti submarine missiles together with the DASH drone helicopter, while defensive armament was to be the RIM-46 Sea Mauler short range anti-aircraft missile backed up by a single 5-inch gun.