Tag Archives: USS Mcclusky (FFG-41)

Harpoons and Perrys off Kauai

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The recent RIMPAC 2018 exercise saw two notable sinkex operations, the first, the old LST USS Racine we have covered already.

The second, the decommissioned OHP-class frigate USS McClusky (FFG 41), was sent to on 19 July to the bottom of waters some 15,000 feet deep, 55 nautical miles north of Kauai.

Her sad, final plunge:

One of the youngest of her class, ex-McClusky was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate commissioned in December 1983 and decommissioned in January 2015. The ship was named for Lt. Cmdr. Wade McClusky, a naval aviator who led his squadrons of Douglass Dauntless dive bombers against a Japanese fleet during the famed attack on the island of Midway in June 1942. He went on to distinguish himself in subsequent actions during the war and again in the Korean War before retiring at the rank of rear admiral in 1956. The ship operated worldwide during her more than 30 years of service. During one deployment in 2002, her crew successfully intercepted a drug runner at sea hauling 75 bales of cocaine weighing nearly 4,000 pounds.

Notably, the first use of a sub-Harpoon in a generation was seen during the exercise when Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Olympia (SSN-717) loaded one of these unicorns and let it fly towards Racine.

The periscope footage, 30 secs:

Loading B-roll, 5 minutes:

30-sec compilation including the hit on Racine’s forward third:

In the end, though, there was one FFG-7 class vessel present at RIMPAC that had a better go of things. The Royal Australian Navy guided-missile frigate HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) participated on the other side of the gun line and on 2 August set sail back to Oz, intact.

Congress approves 8 frigates for Mexico, Taiwan, and Thailand

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140108-N-MJ645-059 MAYPORT, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2014) The guided-missile frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50) departs Naval Station Mayport for a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. This is Taylor's final deployment as the ship is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2015. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus L. Stanley/Released) CLICK TO BIG UP

140108-N-MJ645-059
MAYPORT, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2014) The guided-missile frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50) departs Naval Station Mayport for a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. This is Taylor’s final deployment as the ship is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2015. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus L. Stanley/Released) CLICK TO BIG UP

According to the local media in the Republic if China (Taiwan), the U.S. Senate has finally approved H.R. 3470 which sets up a transfer of up to 8 high-mileage Oliver Hazard Perry-class (FFG-7) guided missile frigates to three U.S. allies. The bill has been held up by a variety of budget issues. It had already passed the House on a voice vote where it was introduced more than a year ago.

It will save an estimated $40 million in costs to the U.S. Navy (about $5 million per ship) which would be the estimated cost to store the ships per year as a mobilization asset.

Going to Taiwan (who already operate eight modified Perrys as the Cheng Kung class) would be USS Taylor (FFG-50), Gary, USS Carr (FFG-52) and USS Eldrod (FFG-55)

Mexico would pick up the slightly older USS Curts (FFG-38) and USS Mcclusky (FFG-41) while Thailand would get USS Rentz (FFG-46) and USS Vandegrift (FFG-48).

The newest of these ships is the 29-year old Elrod, currently set to decommission in January 2015 while the oldest, 31-year old Curts has been laid up since January 2013.

The bill has strings attached however and requires that (1) transfer costs shall be charged to the recipient, and (2) the country to which a vessel is transferred shall have necessary vessel repair and refurbishment carried out at U.S. shipyards (including U.S. Navy shipyards) to the maximum extent practicable.

These ships are supposedly replaced in U.S. service by the new littoral combat ship.