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DDG-37 Farragut / Coontz

The Farragut class guided missile destroyers were constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The ships were also known as the Coontz class, since DDG 40 Coontz was the first designed and built as a guided missile ship. The three earlier ships of the class were initially designed as all gun hunter killer destroyers (DK), and were were subsequently converted to carry the new Terrier surface-to-air missile.

The ships were significantly larger than previous destroyers, and the term "frigate" was reactivated to describe them. This class of ships was initially classified as Destroyer Leader [DL], and subsequently reclassified as Guided Missile Frigate [DLG] in 1956. The ships were again reclassified in 1975, as Guided Missile Destroyer [DDG], and given new hull numbers [eg, DLG 10 King became DDG 41].

Despite periodic modernizations the classes was retired in the early 1990s. Modernization with the New Threat Upgrade (NTU) package was considered for these ships was terminated since modernization would not have been cost effective given the limited service lives remaining. As part of the 1989 Amended budget submission, the decision was made to accelerate the retirement of these ships to achieve complete retirement of the class (except Mahan (DDG 42) which received NTU modernization in 1982 as a test package) by the end of FY 93. The highly capable, multi-mission, AEGIS equipped, Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class replaced these ships.

DDG-25 through DDG-30 were DDG-2 Charles Adams class ships built in the United States for Australia and Germany. DDG-1, as well as DDG-31 through DDG-36, were destroyers converted to carry guided missiles, all of which were striken from active service between 1978 and 1988.

DDG-47 Ticonderoga and DDG-48 Yorktown were subsequently redesignated CG-47 and CG-48. It is unclear whether DDG-49 and DDG-50 were formally assigned to Vincennes or Valley Forge prior to their designation as CG-49 and CG-50, though in any event the DDG numerical sequence resumed with DDG-51 Arleigh Burke.

Specifications

Displacement 5,800 tons (full load)
Length 512 feet
Beam 52 feet
Max Speed 33 knots
Power Plant 4 - 1200 psi boilers; 2 geared turbines
2 shafts; 85,000 shaft horsepower
Aircraft None - VERTREP capable only
Armament 40 - Standard Missiles (MR) from Mk 10 twin arm launcher
8 - Harpoon missiles (from 2 quad launchers)
8 - ASROC (from MK 16 launcher)
2 - MK 32 triple tube mounts w/ six Mk-46 torpedoes)
2 - 5-inch / 54 caliber MK 42 gun
Complement 400 (25 officers, 375 enlisted)

Ships

Name Number Builder Homeport Ordered Commissioned Decommissioned
Farragut DDG 37 Bethlehem Norfolk27 Jan 195610 Dec 196031 Oct 1989
Luce DDG 38Bethlehem Mayport27 Jan 195620 May 196101 Apr 1991
MacDonough DDG 39Bethlehem Charleston27 Jan 195604 Nov 196123 Oct 1992
Coontz DDG 40Puget Sound NSY Norfolk18 Nov 195515 Jul 196004 Oct 1989
King DDG 41Puget Sound NSY Norfolk18 Nov 195517 Nov 196028 Mar 1991
Mahan DDG 42San Francisco NSY Charleston18 Nov 195525 Aug 196015 June 1993
Dahlgren DDG 43Philadelphia NSY Norfolk23 Jul 195608 Apr 196131 Jul 1992
William V. Pratt DDG 44Philadelphia NSY Charleston23 Jul 195604 Nov 196130 Sep 1991
Dewey DDG 45Bath Charleston10 Aug 195707 Dec 195931 Aug 1990
Preble DDG 46Bath Norfolk16 Dec 195709 May 196015 Nov 1991

Sources and Resources


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http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ddg-37.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Saturday, March 06, 1999 12:23:41 PM