USS Cook (FF-1083)

USS Cook (FF-1083)
History
United States
Name	Cook
Namesake	Wilmer P. Cook
Ordered	25 August 1966
Builder	Avondale Shipyard, Bridge City, Louisiana
Laid down	20 March 1970
Launched	23 January 1971
Acquired	9 December 1971
Commissioned	18 December 1971
Decommissioned	30 April 1992
Stricken	11 January 1995
Homeport	San Diego
Identification	Hull symbol:FF-1083 Code letters:NACI
Motto	Above All Duty
Fate	Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred to Taiwan, 29 September 1999, retired in 2015 and sunk as target in 2020.
General characteristics
Class and type	Knox-class frigate
Displacement	3,201 tons (4,182 full load)
Length	438 ft (134 m)
Beam	46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
Draft	24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Propulsion	two CE 1,200 psi (8,300 kPa) boilers one Westinghouse geared turbine one shaft, 35,000 shp (26,000 kW)
Speed	over 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement	18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar AN/SQS-26 Sonar AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar AN/SQS-35 Independent variable depth sonar (IVDS; Fish) AN/SPG-53 Gun Fire-control radar Mk-68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament	one Mk-16 8-cell missile launcher for RUR-5 ASROC and Harpoon missiles one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun Mk-46 Torpedoes from four single tube launchers one Mk-25 BPDMS launcher for Sea Sparrow missiles (later removed)
Aircraft carried	one SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

USS Cook (FF-1083) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Bridge City, Louisiana.

The ship was named after Lieutenant Commander Wilmer P. Cook, USN, a Douglas A-4E Skyhawk aviator from Attack Squadron 155 aboard Coral Sea. On 22 December 1967, LCdr. Cook launched on a combat mission over North Vietnam. LCdr. Cook was killed when he ejected from his burning aircraft, a rescue helicopter was unable to recover his body when it came under heavy fire.^[1]

Design and description

The Knox-class design was derived from the Brooke-class frigate modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ships had an overall length of 438 feet (133.5 m), a beam of 47 feet (14.3 m) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 m). They displaced 4,066 long tons (4,131 t) at full load. Their crew consisted of 13 officers and 211 enlisted men.^[2]

The ships were equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce 35,000 shaft horsepower (26,000 kW), using steam provided by 2 C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). The Knox class had a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[3]

The Knox-class ships were armed with a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward and a single 3-inch/50-caliber gun aft. They mounted an the 5-inch (127 mm) gun and the bridge. Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ships were equipped with a torpedo-carrying DASH drone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positioned amidships aft of the mack. Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships also had the 3-inch (76 mm) gun replaced by an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher in the early 1970s.^[4]

Construction and career

Her keel was laid 20 March 1970, she was launched 23 January 1971 and delivered 9 December 1971. Cook was commissioned 18 December 1971 and decommissioned 30 April 1992. She was struck 11 January 1995 and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), and transferred to Taiwan 29 September 1999. She served the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) as Hai-Yang (FFG-936) with additional re-modifications and retired May 2015 .Hai-Yang used as the target during the exercise in 2020. Sunk by F-16V as target 1 July 2020.

Notes

References

• Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-733-X.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

Further reading

• Waldman, Martin R. (23 January 2018). "Cook II (DE-1083)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 15 November 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Cook (FF-1083).

• Naval Vessel Register
• Navsource images

This page was last edited on 25 May 2023, at 21:22