FFG7 Guided Missle Frigate
The "Oliver Hazard Perry" class of frigates was procured by the US Navy during the 1970's and 1980's, and the frigate was created as a general purpose escort able to do most tasks adequately, yet cheap enough to be bought in large quantities to replace ageing World War II destroyers. The frigate were built in 445-ft. short-hull and 455-ft long-hull variants ( Flight I and Flight III )The 30 long-hull carry the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter,while the 21 short-hull have the less capable Kaman SH-2 Seasprite helicopter.The long-hull ships also have the RAST ( Recovery Assist Securing and Traversing ) system attached to the Seahawk in flight and allowing the helicopter to be winched down onto the deck in adverse conditions.
Armament:
The Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates are armed with a single, forward mounted Mk13 mod 4 missile launcher with 36 SM-1MR standard missiles four Harpoon anti-ship missiles available in a below decks magazine (beginning in 2003 the Navy began removing this launcher from existing OHP hulls following the retirement of the SM-1MR missile.) In addition, the OHP frigates are armed with a single, amidships mounted Mk75 3"/62 caliber rapid fire cannon. Each frigate is also armed with two triple Mk32 mod 14 324mm torpedo tubes capable of launching either the Mk46 mod 5 or the Mk50 ASW torpedoes. For self defense the OHP frigates are armed with one Mk15 mod 2 Phalanx CIWS anti-missile system, two Mk38 25mm Bushmaster guns and four M2 .50 caliber machine guns.
Though the cost of the " Oliver Hazard Perry " class increased very considerably during the production run, all 50 ships planned for the US Navy were completed in 1979/87, with a 51st. unit added in 1989.Some of the long-hulled ships are scheduled to remain in American service for some years to come, but others have already been decommissioned.
"Oliver Hazard Perry" class frigates twice reached the headlines during the 1980's. In the Persian Gulf, on may 17,1986, the USS Stark was attacked, apperently in error, by an Iraqi warplane ; some 37 US sailors died in this episode, which took place just before the launch of Operation " Earnest Will" in which Kuwaiti oil tankerss were reflagged as US vessels for safer passage through the gulf during the Iraqi-Iranian Gulf War of the 1980's. On April 14,1988 the USS Samual B. Roberts hit an Iranian mine in the same region and nearly sank : the ship suffered no dead, but 10 of its wounded sailors had to be airlifted from the ship for treatment. Days later the USA responded with a one-day offensive against Iranian oil platforms used as bases for raids on shipping.
FFG4 
