The frigates Oliver Hazard Perry, Antrim and Jack Williams in 1982
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Class overview | |
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Name: | Oliver Hazard Perry class |
Builders: |
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Operators: | |
Preceded by: | Brooke class |
Succeeded by: | |
Subclasses: |
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Cost: | US$122 million |
Built: | 1975–2004 |
In commission: | 1977– present |
Planned: | 71 |
Completed: | 71 |
Active: |
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Retired: | Over 30 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Guided missile frigate |
Displacement: | 4,100 long tons (4,200 t) full load |
Length: |
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Beam: | 45 ft (14 m) |
Draft: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: | over 29 knots (54 km/h) |
Range: | 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement: | 176 |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | Two LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters (the SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I on the short-hulled ships or the SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III on the long-hulled ships) |
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of guided missile 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 and complement 1960s-era Knox-class frigates. In Admiral Elmo Zumwalt's "high low fleet plan", the FFG-7s were the low capability ships with the Spruance-class destroyers serving as the high capability ships. Intended to protect amphibious landing forces, supply and replenishment groups, and merchant convoys from aircraft and submarines, they were also later part of battleship-centred surface action groups and aircraft carrier battle groups/strike groups. 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 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, Taiwan and Turkey.
The first of the 51 U.S. Navy built Oliver Hazard Perry frigates entered into service in 1977, the last, the USS Simpson (FFG-56), was decommissioned on Sept. 29, 2015. The retired vessels were either mothballed or transferred to other navies for continued service. Some of the U.S. Navy's frigates, such as USS Duncan (14.6 years in service) had fairly short careers, while a few lasted as long as 30+ years in active U.S. service, with some lasting even longer after being sold or donated to other navies.