USS Kauffman (FFG-59)

History

From the 15th century onwards, a "frigate" was a warship designed for speed and maneuverability. In World War II, frigates took on the role of submarine hunters and continued into the Cold War, with missile-loaded anti-submarine warfare (ASW) of the Oliver Hazzard Perry class (or simply the "Perry class") - frigates consisted of 1974-2004. Today, the Perry-class is nearing the end of its useful life in the U.S.

Navy, with plans to retire or sell the remaining 26 Perry-class frigates by 2017. The class has graceful lines that make her look long and thin, with a knife-pointed bow that allows her to rip through waves at speeds approaching 30 knots. Outside of the U.S.

Navy, the Perry-class ships serve in the navies of Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Poland, Taiwan, Pakistan, Spain and Turkey.

The aircraft carrier USS Kaufman was commissioned in 1987 and is one of the Perry-class ships still in service today. During Fleet Week 2011, the 34-year-old ship opened to the public in Staten Island, New York, during Fleet Week 2011. Their various missions focus on protecting aircraft carrier and fleet strike groups, anti-submarine warfare, and pirate suppression patrols. The main difference between the Perry classes is their missile armament, which earns them the "FFG" designation in the U.S.

Navy inventory. However, all U.S. Perry-class frigates had their surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles removed in 2004. class. This class still supports the LAMPS III family of helicopters, which support Penguin anti-ship missiles. The Penguin (AGM-119) anti-ship missile itself is a short- and medium-range naval missile, originally developed in Norway.

Beginning in the early 1970s, Penguin was continuously upgraded and used in the LAMPS III series of naval helicopters, allowing Kaufman to continue to use the ship's missile classification.

Kaufman keeps her cantilevered 3" 76mm OTO Melara rapid-fire remote-controlled automatic cannon. This powerful cannon can fire up to 80 rounds per minute and has a maximum range of 10 nautical miles (18.5). Midships located on the upper deck can fire to port, starboard and stern.

The guns and airborne systems of the LAMPS III helicopter are linked to the MK 92 MOD 6 CORT Fire Control System (FCS).

Other weapons on board are also connected to the MK 92 fire control system. For ASW defense or attack, there are 2 Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes - one port and one starboard - for ATK Mk 46 Mod 5 light torpedoes or ATK Mk 50 torpedoes. The Mk 46 torpedo has a range of 11 kilometers, carries a 44kg warhead, and is capable of targeting enemy submarines or surface ships at speeds of up to 40 knots. The speed of the Mk 50 torpedo is 50 knots.

For close protection against high-speed surface vehicles and incoming missile threats, the Kaufman crew relied on the Thor Mk 15 Block 1B "Phalanx" six-barreled 20mm Gatling cannon. The CIWS (Close Weapon System) fires at 4,500 rounds per minute at a range of 1.5 km and is mounted on the tail above the helicopter flight deck.

In front of the main bridge and above the now unused missile silo is a platform to mount a Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm chain gun, an automatic cannon with a range of 2.5 km. The Mk 38 can fire all US Navy-approved 25mm ammunition at 180 rounds per minute.

This turret can be seen visually, but interestingly, the Kaufman's official website does not list it as part of the ship's armament profile.

Today, the Kaufman's crew consists of 17 officers and 198 soldiers. Prior to 2004, the ship carried 15 officers and 190 soldiers, as well as Harpoon missiles and SM-1MR standard anti-ship/air missiles in 40-round magazines.

The helicopter wings remain unchanged, and the two LAMPS III helicopters have 6 pilots and 15 crew members.

Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk or LAMPS (Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System) Mk III helicopters deployed on Perry-class frigates as well as Burke-class, Spruance-class and Kidd-class destroyers and Ticondero Plus-class cruiser. The SH-60B Mk III is an all-weather attack helicopter capable of detecting, identifying and intercepting enemy submarines (ASW) and attack ships (ASUW).

In addition, helicopters have been added to ship-to-ship cargo replenishment (VERTREP), search and rescue (SAR), as well as medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and naval fire support (NGFS) missions. Using the BUNO 162349 targeting system, the LAMPS MK III helicopter uses the aforementioned Mk 2 Mod 7 "Penguin" missiles for the additional effect of ASUW attacks.

For the ASW mission, the helicopter is equipped with a submersible sonar (AQS-18A) capable of deploying a 1,575-foot cable approximately 60 feet above the ocean. The anomaly detector is connected to the LN-66 radar and AKT-22 data link.

To support rescue missions, there is a 600kg border lift, as well as mounts for machine guns and pods to support 2.75" FFAR point suppression missiles.

The USS Kaufman has a number of sensor arrays to perform assigned missions. The MK 92 MOD 6 CORT Fire Control System (FCS) can track up to 128 targets simultaneously over a distance of up to 512.1 miles (824.1 km).

A sonar system (SQS-56 Hull Sonar System) with a range of 5.8 miles (9.3 km) is mounted under the bow???. The system is a passive-active system that can track up to 16 targets simultaneously. The ship can deploy its own towed sonar system (SQR-19).

The long sonar behind the ship can reportedly track up to 32 submarines.

To date, USS Kauffman and her crew have been awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Merit Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Service Medal, Combined Merit Unit Award, Southwest Asia Service Medal, E War, Global War Terrorism Service Medal and Expedition Medal.

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