USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana.

USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082)
History
United States
NameElmer Montgomery
NamesakeElmer Montgomery
Ordered25 August 1966
BuilderAvondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana
Laid down23 January 1970
Launched21 November 1970
Acquired14 October 1971
Commissioned30 October 1971
Decommissioned30 June 1993
Stricken30 June 1993
MottoTo the Front
FateDisposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, (Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 516, Southern Region Amendment), to Turkey, 13 December 1993.
General characteristics
Class and typeKnox-class frigate
Displacement3,222 tons (4,185 full load)
Length438 ft (133.5 m)
Beam46 ft 9 in (14.2 m)
Draft24 ft 9 in (7.5 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × CE 1,200 psi (8,300 kPa) boilers
  • 1 Westinghouse geared turbine
  • 1 shaft, 35,000 shp (26,000 kW)
Speedover 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
  • AN/SPS-10 Surface Search Radar
  • AN/SQS-26 Sonar
  • AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar system
  • Mk68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare
& decoys
AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament
Aircraft carriedone SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

Design and description

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The Knox-class design was derived from the Brooke-class frigate modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ships had an overall length of 438 feet (133.5 m), a beam of 47 feet (14.3 m) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 m). They displaced 4,066 long tons (4,131 t) at full load. Their crew consisted of 13 officers and 211 enlisted men.[1]

The ships were equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce 35,000 shaft horsepower (26,000 kW), using steam provided by 2 C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). The Knox class had a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[2]

The Knox-class ships were armed with a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward and a single 3-inch/50-caliber gun aft. They mounted an eight-round ASROC launcher between the 5-inch (127 mm) gun and the bridge. Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ships were equipped with a torpedo-carrying DASH drone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positioned amidships aft of the mack. Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships also had the 3-inch (76 mm) gun replaced by an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher in the early 1970s.[3]

Construction and career

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She was laid down 23 January 1970; launched 21 November 1970; and purchased 14 October 1971. She was commissioned 30 October 1971, decommissioned 30 June 1993, and struck 30 June 1993. Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, (Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 516, Southern Region Amendment), to Turkey, 13 December 1993.

Notes

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  1. ^ Friedman, pp. 357–60, 425
  2. ^ Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  3. ^ Friedman, pp. 360–61; Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598

References

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  • Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-733-X.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
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