Charles F. Adams-class destroyer explained

The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided-missile destroyers (DDG) built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty-three were built for the United States Navy, three for the Royal Australian Navy, and three for the West German Bundesmarine. The design of these ships (known as project SCB 155)[1] was based on that of s, but the Charles F. Adams class were the first class designed to serve as guided-missile destroyers.[2] of length was added to the center of the design of the Forrest Sherman class to carry the ASROC launcher. The Charles F. Adams-class were the last steam turbine-powered destroyers built for the U.S. Navy. Starting with the succeeding Spruance-class, all U.S. Navy destroyers have been powered by gas turbines. Some of the U.S. Charles F. Adams class served during the blockade of Cuba in 1962 and during the Vietnam War; those of the Royal Australian Navy served during the Vietnam War and Gulf War.

New threat update program and decommissioning

Although designed with cutting-edge technology for the 1950s, by the mid-1970s it was clear to the Navy that the Charles F. Adams-class destroyers were not prepared to deal with modern air attacks and guided missiles. To reduce this vulnerability, the U.S. Navy began the New Threat Upgrade (NTU) program. This consisted of a number of sensor, weapons and communications upgrades that were intended to extend the service lives of the ships. Under the NTU, these destroyers received improved electronic warfare capability through the installation of the AN/SLQ-32(V)2 EW Suite.

The upgraded combat system would include the MK86 Gun Fire Control System with AN/SPQ-9 radar, the Hughes AN/SPS-52C 3D radar, the AN/SPG-51C (Digital) Fire Control Radars, and the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS). These ships were also planned to have the ability to launch several Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which were to be installed in their MK-11 or MK-13 Tartar missile launcher.

During the 1980s, the Reagan Administration chose to accelerate production of the guided-missile cruisers and build the guided-missile destroyers, both classes with the Aegis Combat System that was considered more effective than NTU-upgraded ships, to gradually replace all existing destroyer and cruiser classes (especially the expensive nuclear-powered cruisers). The result of this was that only three of Charles F. Adams-class destroyers,,, and received the full upgrade. Other ships, of the class, such as Charles F. Adams, received only partial upgrades, which included the AN/SLQ-32 and Harpoon Missile upgrades, that were intended to extend their service lives until the Arleigh Burke class could reach operational capability.

The United States Navy decommissioned its last Charles F. Adams destroyer, Goldsborough, on 29 April 1993. The Australian and German navies decommissioned their last ships of this class by 2003. Four ships of this class were transferred to the Hellenic Navy in 1992, but those have also been decommissioned.

was originally planned to open as a museum ship sometime in 2018, but those plans were put on hold and the ship was sent to be scrapped in 2020. The was made into a museum ship, but all of the other destroyers in the class have been sunk as targets, sunk for diving wrecks or sold for scrap.

Ships in class

Ships of the Charles F. Adams destroyer class
NameHull no.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFateRef
DDG-2Bath Iron Works16 June 19588 September 195910 September 19601 August 1990data-sort-value="2020" Scrapped 2020 Brownsville Texas[3]
DDG-325 August 195830 January 19604 February 196130 March 1990Scrapped[4]
DDG-4New York Shipbuilding Corporation27 October 195827 February 19606 January 196230 March 1990Scrapped[5]
DDG-518 May 195914 June 19605 May 196231 October 1989Scrapped[6]
DDG-610 August 195910 December 196011 August 196217 December 1990Scrapped[7]
DDG-7Defoe Shipbuilding Company28 February 195822 April 195917 December 19602 October 1989Sunk as target[8]
DDG-84 April 195828 July 19593 June 19611 October 1991Sunk as target[9]
DDG-9Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington1 April 195823 April 19596 June 19611 October 1990Sunk as target[10]
DDG-10Bath Iron Works2 March 195921 May 196024 June 196124 June 1991Scrapped[11]
DDG-113 August 19599 September 196028 October 196131 October 1989Scrapped[12]
DDG-12Defoe Shipbuilding Company28 April 195927 April 19609 December 19611 October 1991Scrapped[13]
DDG-133 August 19594 August 196016 June 19621 October 1990Converted to power barge, then scrapped[14]
DDG-14Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington17 January 195811 May 19607 February 19621 October 1991Sunk as target[15]
DDG-15New York Shipbuilding Corporation1 June 196029 July 196115 December 196230 September 1992Sold to Greece as Themistoklis (D221), scrapped later[16]
DDG-1627 December 19609 December 196120 April 19631 February 1990Sold to Greece as Formion (D220), scrapped later[17]
DDG-171 May 196118 May 196213 July 196330 October 1990Scrapped[18]
DDG-18Avondale Shipyard15 August 196020 May 196110 December 196214 April 1991data-sort-value="2006" Sold to Greece as Kimon (D218), scrapped 2006[19]
DDG-1914 November 196026 August 196113 April 196318 January 1991Scrapped[20]
DDG-20Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Seattle, Washington3 January 196115 December 19619 November 196329 April 1993Sold to Australia as a parts hulk, scrapped later.[21]
DDG-2131 July 196118 July 196221 March 19641 October 1990Scrapped[22]
DDG-2211 June 19628 January 196312 September 196420 December 1991Sank while under tow en route for scrapping[23]
DDG-23Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington12 April 19616 February 19627 March 196427 April 1990Sold to Greece for parts, sunk as target later[24]
DDG-246 February 196226 February 196328 August 19641 October 1992Sold to Greece as Nearchos (D219), sunk as target later[25]

Hellenic Navy

Four destroyers were transferred to the Hellenic Navy;

Lütjens class

See main article: Lütjens-class destroyer.

The was a modification of the Charles F. Adams class for the Bundesmarine (the Navy of West Germany). It differed from the Charles F. Adams class in the layout of the crew accommodations, the location of the bow sonar, a second large aerial mast and different funnels.

Perth class

See main article: Perth-class destroyer.

The Royal Australian Navy had three Charles F. Adams-class units constructed to their own specifications (these ships were designated the). Although broadly similar to the US Navy's vessels, the Australian ships were fitted with the Ikara system instead of the ASROC that was fitted to the American units. The three ships were:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Friedman, Norman . U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History . . 1982. . 299, 307–309 . 0-87021-733-X.
  2. The was built at roughly the same time, but they were classified as frigates until 1975.
  3. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG2}} USS ''Charles F. Adams'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  4. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG3}} USS ''John King'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  5. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG4}} USS ''Lawrence'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  6. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG5}} USS ''Claude V. Ricketts'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  7. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG6}} USS ''Barney'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  8. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG7}} USS ''Henry B. Wilson'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  9. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG8}} USS ''Lynde McCormick'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  10. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG9}} USS ''Towers'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  11. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG10}} USS ''Sampson'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  12. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG11}} USS ''Sellers'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  13. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG12}} USS ''Robison'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  14. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG13}} USS ''Hoel'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  15. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG14}} USS ''Buchanan'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  16. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG15}} USS ''Berkeley'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  17. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG16}} USS ''Joseph Strauss'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  18. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG17}} USS ''Conyngham'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  19. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG18}} USS ''Semmes'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  20. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG19}} USS ''Tattnall'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  21. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG20}} USS ''Goldsborough'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  22. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG21}} USS ''Cochrane'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  23. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG22}} USS ''Benjamin Stoddert'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  24. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG23}} USS ''Richard E. Byrd'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .
  25. Web site: [{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG24}} USS ''Waddell'' ]. Naval Vessel Register .

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