US Navy Frigates of the Cold War (Osprey New Vanguard #297)

A fresh, new study on the overlooked history of the backbone of the Cold War US Navy, the go-anywhere, do-anything frigate. Though they were never the most glamorous of warships, found US Navy frigates were frequently found on the frontlines of the Cold War at sea. These warships were the descendants of World War II's destroyer escorts, designed primarily to escort convoys. They specialized in anti-submarine warfare, but were intended to be numerous, tough, versatile, and well-armed enough to show US naval power around the world, performing roles that varied from intercepting drug-smugglers to defending aircraft carriers. When the Cold War turned hot, frigates were often there. It was a US Navy frigate, Harold E. Holt , that conducted the US Navy's first hostile boarding action since 1826 during the SS Mayaguez incident. Frigates were at the forefront of operations in the Persian Gulf during the Tanker War, with the frigate USS Stark suffering a notorious Exocet attack by Iraqi warplanes, and proving the Oliver Hazard Perry-class's legendary toughness. This book explains how the technology and design of frigates changed during the Cold War, how the classes were modified to keep up to date, and explores the many varied missions they performed during the Cold War and since. The US Navy's frigate fleet were warships on the frontline of the Cold War at sea. The descendants of World War Two's destroyer escorts, they specialised in anti-submarine warfare, but were intended to be numerous, tough, versatile and well-armed enough to demonstrate US naval power around the world, performing roles that varied from intercepting drug-smugglers to defending aircraft carriers. When the Cold War turned hot, these were often the warships involved: it was a frigate, USS Harold E. Holt , that conducted the US Navy's first hostile boarding action since 1826 during the SS Mayaguez incident. During the Iran-Iraq war, they were dispatched employed at the forefront of the tanker war in the Persian Gulf where USS Stark suffered a notorious Exocet attack by Iraqi warplanes and proved the Oliver Hazard Perry classs legendary toughness. Mark Stilley explains how the technology and design of these frigates changed during the Cold War and how the classes were modified to keep up to date. This fully illustrated book offers a fresh new study of the ships that formed the backbone of the Cold War US Navy. Cover Contents Introduction Operational missions and employment of US Navy frigates US Navy Frigate Weapons ASW weapons US Navy frigate missile systems US Navy frigate guns US Navy frigate ASW sensors US Navy Frigates at War and in Peace The Frigate Classes War-built destroyer escorts Dealey class Claud Jones class Bronstein class Garcia class Brooke class Knox class Perry class Analysis and Conclusion Further Reading Index Imprint