The Bronstein class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts (destroyer escorts), but were all redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975 in the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.
The lead ship of the class was the USS Bronstein (FF-1037), laid down May 16, 1961 and commissioned June 15, 1963, at Avondale Shipyards, Louisiana.
This class comprised the second generation of post-World War II destroyer escorts. These ships can be considered developmental vessels as many new systems were installed to test for future use, such as a new hull design, larger bow-mounted AN/SQS-26AX sonar system, and ASW weaponry. This class was a new design from the keel up, incorporating the FRAM improvements, and was specifically designed to operate the DASH drone helicopter. The sonar was later upgraded to the AN/SQS-26AX(R).
The top weight of the new ASW equipment and the large bow-mounted sonar made the Bronstein frigates too slow to operate with the ASW task forces for which they had been designed. Thus the US Navy decided against any further procurement of ships of this class. The later Garcia-class frigates were given a larger power plant and greater speed.
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type: | frigate |
| Displacement: | 2,360 tons standard, 2,960 full load |
| Length: | 372 ft (113 m) |
| Beam: | 41 ft (12 m) |
| Draught: | 23 ft (7.0 m) to bottom of sonar dome |
| Propulsion: | •2 Foster-Wheeler 600 PSI boilers •1 Westinghouse turbine coupled to 1 de Laval locked-train double reduction gears •1 shaft: 22,000 SHP (15 MW) |
| Speed: | 26 knots |
| Range: | 4,000 mi (6,400 km) at 15 knots |
| Complement: | 196 (16 officers, 180 men) Accommodation for 20 officers, 200 men |
| Sensors and processing systems: | •Air search radar: AN/SPS-40 •Surface search radar: AN/SPS-10 •Fire control radar: AN/SPG-35 •Sonar: AN/SQS-26 AX(R) (bow mounted) •TASS (Towed Array Sonar System): installed in the mid-1970s for trials but later removed •MK 6 Fanfare torpedo decoy system |
| Armament: | •MK-116 octuple ASROC launcher without reload capability •6 torpedo tubes (2, MK 32 triple torpedo mounts) •1 twin 3 inch/50 caliber MK 33 guns operated by an MK 56 radar director and MK 114 Mod 7 ASW fire-control system using MK 1 target designation system. •1 3″ gun was replaced by the AN/SQS-15 TASS towed array sonar on McCloy |
