What does «clase Oliver Hazard Perry» mean in Spanish?
- Oliver Hazard Perry-class warships are active in the U.S. Navy and other navies. Functionally, they are ocean escorts, primarily for anti-submarine warfare with a local and limited anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare capability. They serve in amphibious warfare and as escorts for resupply ships, as well as for navigational protection. Designed as cost-effective surface combatants, they lack the multimission capability needed for modern surface combatants facing multiple high-tech threats. They also offer limited growth capability. Despite this, the FFG 7 class is a rugged platform, capable of withstanding considerable damage. This "toughness" was aptly demonstrated when the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) hit a mine and the USS Stark (FFG-31) was hit by two Exocet cruise missiles. In both cases the ships survived, were repaired and returned to the fleet. The USS Stark was decommissioned in May 1999. The flagship of the class, USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) and the following ships have been decommissioned: FFG 9-16, 19-27, 30, 31 AND 34.