Bronstein class frigate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bronstein class frigate | |
|---|---|
 USS McCloy FF-1038 |
|
| Class Overview | |
| Type: | frigate |
| Name: | Bronstein |
| Preceded by: | Dealey class destroyer escort |
| Succeeded by: | Garcia class frigate |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 2360 tons standard, 2960 full load |
| Length: | 372 feet (113 m) |
| Beam: | 41 feet (12 m) |
| Draught: | 23 feet (7 m) to bottom of sonar dome |
| Propulsion: | •2 Foster-Wheeler 600 PSI boilers •1 Westinghouse turbine coupled to 1 de Laval locked-train double reduction gears •1 shaft: 22,000 SHP (15 MW) |
| Speed: | 26 knots |
| Range: | 4000 mi (6437 km) at 15 knots |
| Complement: | 196 (16 officers, 180 men) Accommodation for 20 officers, 200 men |
| Armament: | •MK-116 octuple ASROC launcher without reload capability •6 torpedo tubes (2, MK 32 triple torpedo mounts) •1 twin 3 inch/50 caliber MK 33 guns operated by a MK 56 radar director and MK 114 Mod 7 ASW fire-control system using MK 1 target designation system. •1 3″ gun was replaced by the AN/SQS-15 TASS towed array sonar on McCloy |
| Sensors and processing systems: | •Air search radar: AN/SPS-40 •Surface search radar: AN/SPS-10 •Fire control radar: AN/SPG-35 •Sonar: AN/SQS-26 AX(R) (bow mounted) •TASS (Towed Array Sonar System): installed in mid-1970's for trials but later removed •MK 6 Fanfare torpedo decoy system |
| Aircraft: | 2 DASH helicopters |
The Bronstein 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 United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.
The lead ship of the class was the USS Bronstein (FF-1037), laid down May 16, 1961 and commissioned June 15, 1963, at Avondale Shipyards, Louisiana.
This class comprised the second generation of post-WWII destroyer escorts. These ships can be considered developmental vessels as many new systems were installed to test for future use, such as a new hull design, larger bow-mounted SQS-26AX sonar system, and ASW weaponry. This class was a new design from the keel up, incorporating the FRAM improvements, and was specifically designed to operate the DASH drone helicopter. The sonar was later upgraded to the AN/SQS-26AX(R).
The top weight of the new ASW equipment and the large bow-mounted sonar made the Bronstein frigates too slow to operate with the ASW task forces for which they had been designed. Thus the US Navy decided against any further procurement of ships of this class. The later Garcia class frigates were given a larger power plant and greater speed.
Contents |
[edit] Ships
Only two ships of this class were built: USS Bronstein (FF-1037) and USS McCloy (FF-1038).
[edit] Bronstein
- Built by: Avondale Shipyards, Avondale, Louisiana
- Laid down: May 16, 1961
- Launched: March 31, 1962
- Commissioned: June 15, 1963
- Reclassified: As frigate (FF) June 30, 1975
- Operations: US Pacific Fleet
- Decommissioned: December 13, 1990
- Stricken: December 13, 1990
- Sold: To Mexico, October 1, 1993; renamed Hermenegildo Galeana (E-42); later ARM Hermenegildo Galeana (F202)
[edit] McCloy
- Built by: Avondale Shipyards, Avondale, Louisiana
- Laid down: September 1, 1961
- Launched: June 9, 1962
- Commissioned: October 21, 1963
- Reclassified: As frigate (FF) June 30, 1975
- Operations: US Atlantic Fleet
- Decommissioned: December 14, 1990
- Stricken: December 17, 1990
- Sold: To Mexico, October 1, 1993; renamed ARM Nicholas Bravo (E-40); later ARM Nicholas Bravo (F201)
[edit] Sources
- USS McCloy – navsource.org
- Class history – Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation
