Bronstein-class frigates
USS
Bronstein
in 1986
|
Class overview
|
Name
| Bronstein
class
|
Operators
| |
Preceded by
| Claud Jones
class
|
Succeeded by
| Garcia
class
|
Built
| 1961-1963
|
In service
| 1963-2017
|
Completed
| 2
|
Retired
| 2
|
General characteristics
|
Type
| Frigate
|
Displacement
| 2,360 tons standard, 2,960 full load
|
Length
| 372 ft (113 m)
|
Beam
| 41 ft (12 m)
|
Draught
| 23 ft (7.0 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 (16,000 kW)
|
Speed
| 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
|
Range
| 4,000 mi (6,400 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
|
Complement
|
- 196 (16 officers, 180 men)
- Accommodation for 20 officers, 200 men
|
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)
[1]
- TASS
(Towed Array Sonar System): installed in the mid-1970s for trials but later removed
- MK 6 Fanfare torpedo decoy system
|
Armament
|
- MK-16 octuple
RUR-5 ASROC
launcher without reload capability
- 6 torpedo tubes (2, MK 32 triple torpedo mounts)
- 1 twin 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber MK 33 guns operated by an MK 56 radar director and MK 114 Mod 7 ASW fire-control system using MK 1 target designation system.
- 1 3 in (76 mm) gun was replaced by the AN/SQS-15 TASS towed array sonar on
McCloy
|
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
Bronstein
, laid down 16 May 1961 and commissioned 15 June 1963, at
Avondale Shipyards
, Louisiana. A second and final ship,
USS McCloy
, was laid down in parallel with
Bronstein
.
This class comprised the second generation of post-World War II 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
AN/SQS-26
AX 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.
Ships
[
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]
Only two ships of this class were built:
USS
Bronstein
(FF-1037)
and
USS
McCloy
(FF-1038)
. Both were later sold to the
Mexican Navy
.
Bronstein
[
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]
- Built by:
Avondale Shipyards
,
Avondale, Louisiana
- Laid down: 16 May 1961
- Launched: 31 March 1962
- Commissioned: 15 June 1963
- Reclassified: As
frigate
(FF) 30 June 1975
- Operations:
US Pacific Fleet
- Decommissioned: 13 December 1990
- Stricken: 13 December 1990
- Sold: To
Mexico
, 1 October 1993; renamed
Hermenegildo Galeana
(E-42); later ARM
Hermenegildo Galeana
(F202)
McCloy
[
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]
- Built by:
Avondale Shipyards
,
Avondale, Louisiana
- Laid down: 1 September 1961
- Launched: 9 June 1962
- Commissioned: 21 October 1963
- Reclassified: As
frigate
(FF) 30 June 1975
- Operations:
US Atlantic Fleet
- Decommissioned: 14 December 1990
- Stricken: 17 December 1990
- Sold: To
Mexico
, 1 October 1993; renamed ARM
Nicolas Bravo
(E-40); later ARM
Nicolas Bravo
(F201)
At one time USS
McCloy
held the record for largest military drug bust at 49.5 tons of marijuana (late 1980s). A sea-going
tug
was forcefully boarded after an overnight chase while the tug's crew tossed bales of cocaine overboard and weapons fire was released the following morning at dawn. One of the tug's crew was wounded by .50 caliber gunfire and was helo'd off. A
Coast Guard
detachment
estimated the amount and an attempt was made to tow the tug to port. The tug had too much damage and sank in the night after several attempts to salvage her.
McCloy
made many drug busts late in her life, received several citations and was painted with marijuana leaves for each bust.
[
citation needed
]
Other notables include involvement in the rescue of the crew of the
submarine
USS
Bonefish
. One of the last US Navy diesel submarines, it had a battery compartment fire and was abandoned by her crew off the coast of Florida.
McCloy
ran lifeguard ops and eventually was designated the tow vessel to bring
Bonefish
to
Charleston, South Carolina
.
Notes
[
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]
- ^
Polmar, Norman "The U.S. Navy: Sonars, Part 1"
United States Naval Institute Proceedings
July 1981 p.119
Sources
[
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]
External links
[
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]