A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of guided-missile frigates named after U.S. 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 numbers to replace World War II-era destroyers and complement 1960s-era Knox-class frigates.
USS Stark (FFG-31) was the 23rd ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates and was named after Admiral Harold Rainsford Stark (1880–1972). Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, on 23 January 1978, Stark was laid down on 24 August 1979, launched on 30 May 1980, and commissioned on 23 October 1982. In 1987, an Iraqi jet fired two missiles at Stark, killing 37 U.S. sailors on board. Decommissioned on 7 May 1999, Stark was scrapped in 2006.
USS Wadsworth (FFG-9), third ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth (1790–1851). She was the third US Navy ship named Wadsworth. She was the second "short-hull" OHP frigate 445 ft (136 m) long. Commissioned in 1980, she served in the US Navy until 2002. Upon decommissioning she was immediately turned over to the Polish navy, where she now serves as ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko.
USS Clifton Sprague (FFG-16) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate of the United States Navy, the tenth ship of that class. She was named for Vice Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague (1896–1955), hero of the Battle off Samar action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where he received the Navy Cross. Clifton Sprague (FFG-16) was the first ship of that name in the US Navy. She was transferred to the Turkish Naval Forces in 1997 as TCG Gaziantep and remains in active service.
USS Copeland (FFG-25) was the seventeenth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates in the United States Navy. She was named for Rear Admiral Robert W. Copeland (1910–1973).
USS Simpson (FFG-56) is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Rodger W. Simpson.
The names of commissioned ships of the United States Navy all start with USS, for United States Ship. Non-commissioned, primarily civilian-crewed vessels of the U.S. Navy under the Military Sealift Command have names that begin with USNS, standing for United States Naval Ship. A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to designate a vessel's type. The names of ships are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. The names are those of states, cities, towns, important persons, important locations, famous battles, fish, and ideals. Usually, different types of ships have names originated from different types of sources.
USS Rentz (FFG-46) was a United States Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate. She was named for George S. Rentz, a World War II Navy Chaplain, posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions following the loss of USS Houston in the Battle of Sunda Strait. He was the only Navy chaplain to be so honored during World War II.
Three ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Lafayette for Marquis de Lafayette.
The FREMM, which stands for "European multi-purpose frigate", is a Franco-Italian family of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincantieri. In France, this surface combatant is known as the "Aquitaine class", while in Italy it is known as the "Bergamini class". The lead ship of the class, Aquitaine, was commissioned in November 2012 by the French Navy. Italy has ordered six general purpose and four anti-submarine variants. France, on the other hand, has ordered six anti-submarine variants and two air-defense ones.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is an American shipbuilding firm in Marinette, Wisconsin. Marinette Marine was a subsidiary of Manitowoc Marine Group of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2009, when it was sold to Fincantieri Marine Group.
United States ship naming conventions for the U.S. Navy were established by congressional action at least as early as 1862. Title 13, section 1531, of the U.S. Code, enacted in that year, reads, in part,
The vessels of the Navy shall be named by the Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President according to the following rule: Sailing-vessels of the first class shall be named after the States of the Union, those of the second class after the rivers, those of the third class after the principal cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct.
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of its active battle fleet alone exceeding the next 13 navies combined, including 11 allies or partner nations of the United States as of 2012. It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, two new carriers under construction, and five other carriers planned. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the United States Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 290 deployable combat vessels and more than 2,623 operational aircraft as of June 2019.
The Constellation-class multi-mission guided-missile frigates of the United States Navy are based on the European multipurpose frigates (FREMM), already in service with the French and Italian navies. Constellation follows the modular but problematic littoral combat ships of the Freedom and Independence classes. The U.S. Navy announced the FFG(X) frigate project in the United States Department of Defense's Request For Information (RFI) on 10 July 2017.
USS Constellation (FFG-62) will be the lead ship of the Constellation class of guided-missile frigates and the fifth ship in the United States Navy bearing this name. She is named in honor of the first USS Constellation, one of the original six frigates of the United States Navy, which was named for the constellation of stars on the flag of the United States. The ship will be sponsored by Melissa Braithwaite, the wife of Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite.
USS Congress (FFG-63) will be the second ship of the Constellation class of guided-missile frigates and the seventh ship in the United States Navy bearing this name. She is named in honor of the first USS Congress, one of the original six frigates of the United States Navy, and her name was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March 1795 for the frigates that were to be constructed.
USS Chesapeake (FFG-64) will be the third Constellation-class guided-missile frigate. The sixth ship in the United States Navy bearing this name, she will be built by Marinette Marine, a subsidiary of Fincantieri, with an expected completion date of August 2028. She is named in honor of the first USS Chesapeake, one of the original six frigates of the United States Navy. The ship will be sponsored by Barbara Strasser, the wife of Rear Admiral Joseph C. Strasser.
United States