Farragut-class Guided Missile Destroyer

The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG-37) anchored off Toulon, France on November 12^th, 1979.

The Farragut-class was the second destroyer class of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The class is sometimes referred to as the Coontz-class, since Coontz was first to be designed and built as a guided missile ship, whereas the previous three ships were designed as all-gun units and converted later.

Ten Farragut-class ships were ordered between 1955 and 1957. Each ship displaced 5,800 tons under full load, with a length of 512.5 feet (156.21 m), a 52.3-foot (15.94 m) beam and a top speed of 32 knots (61.12 km/h). Originally commissioned as guided missile frigates (DLG), they were redesignated as guided missile destroyers (DDG) under the fleet realignment in 1975. They were also the only redesignated ships to be renumbered as well under the realignment, with the first unit changing from DLG-6 to DDG-37 and all subsequent vessels being renumbered upwards in order.

All ships of the class were decommissioned between 1989 and 1994 and subsequently scrapped.

Specifications

• Type: Guided Missile Destroyer (Hull designation symbol DDG)
• Service Period: 1960-1992
• Characteristics:
  • Length: 512 feet 6 inches (156.21 meters)
  • Beam: 52 feet 3.6 inches (15.94 meters)
  • Draft: 17 feet 9.6 inches (5.43 meters)
  • Displacement: 4,700 tons (Standard); 5,800 tons (Full Load)
• Crew: 375
• Power: 85,000 shp (63,000 kW)
• Propulsion:
  • 4 x 1,200 psi forced draft Babcock and Wilcox D-type super heated boilers
  • 2 x Allis-Chalmers geared steam turbines
• Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers) at 20 knots (37.04 km/h)
• Speed: 32 knots (59.26 km/h)
• Sensor Suite:
  • AN/SPS-29 air search Radar x 1 - replaced by AN/SPS-49 2D Air Search Radar
  • AN/SPS-39 3D air search Radar x 1 - replaced by AN/SP-48 3D Air Search Radar
  • AN/SPS-10 surface search Radar x 1
  • AN/SPG-53 gun fire control Radar x 1
  • AN/SPQ-5 Fire Control Radar x 2 - replaced by AN/SPG-55B fire control Radar
  • AN/SQS-23 SONAR
• Countermeasures:
  • AN/WLR-1 Radio Detector - replaced by AN/SLQ-32(V)3 Electronic Warfare Suite
  • AN/WLR-11 Radar Warning Receiver - replaced by AN/SLQ-32(V)3 Electronic Warfare Suite
  • AN/ULQ-6 Interference Device - replaced by AN/SLQ-32(V)3 Electronic Warfare Suite
  • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures Suite
  • Mk.137 6-barrelled decoy launchers x 4
• Armament:
  • 1 x 5"/54-caliber Mk.42 dual purpose naval gun
  • 1 x Mk.10 twin-arm missile launcher (fires RIM-2 Terrier, later RIM-67 Standard-ER)
  • 1 x Mk.16 ASROC Launcher (fires RUR-5 ASROC)
  • 4 x 3"/50-caliber Mk.33 anti-aircraft guns (2x2) - replaced by 2 x Mk.141 AShM Launchers
  • 2 x Mk.32 triple torpedo launchers

Unit Run

• USS Farragut (DDG-37)
• USS Luce (DDG-38)
• USS Macdonough (DDG-39)
• USS Coontz (DDG-40)
• USS King (DDG-41)
• USS Mahan (DG-42)
• USS Dahlgren (DDG-43)
• USS William V. Pratt (DDG-44)
• USS Dewey (DDG-45)
• USS Preble (DDG-46)