Design

The Knox-class design was derived from the Brooke-class frigate modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ship had an overall length of 438 ft (133.5 m), a beam of 47 ft (14.3 m) and a draft of 25 ft (7.6 m). It displaced 4,065 long tons (4,130 t) at full load. Its crew consisted of 16 officers and 211 enlisted men.

The ship was equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce 35,000 shp (26,000 kW), using steam provided by two C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of 27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph). The Knox class had a range of 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph).

The Knox-class ship was armed with a single 5-inch (127 mm)/54 caliber Mark 42 gun. It mounted an eight-round ASROC launcher between the 5-inch gun and the bridge. Its close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ship was 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 had an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher added in the early 1970s.

Construction

She was laid down on 5 October 1965, by Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington; launched on 19 November 1966; sponsored by Mrs. Peter A. Sturtevant, the granddaughter of Commodore Knox; and was commissioned on 12 April 1969, with Commander William A. Lamm in command.