1970 USS AYLWI N. A member of the Knox class of 46 large anti-submarine frigates, construction of which spanned almost a decade from the mid 1960s.
THE KNOX CLASS
Design of what was to become the Knox class began at the start of the 1 960s, and was to be controversial right from the start, the original innovative pressurised boilers being rejected as insufficiently powerful. This led to the hull being stretched to accommodate a more conventional installation, but with no modification to the single shaft machinery or provision for more powerful weaponry than the single 5in (127mm) gun, though a compromise saw an advanced design, the automatic, long-barrelled Mk 42, finally adopted. Space aft was allocated for an anti-aircraft missile system, and a Mk 25 Sea Sparrow was eventually fitted, along with a rapid-reload ASROC/Harpoon launcher and four fixed tubes for lightweight anti-sub marine torpedoes. The telescopic hangar earmarked for DASH drones easily accommodated a LAMPS ASW helicopter, though the deck had to be strengthened. The largely enclosed main deck and mack (a combination of mast and stack (funnel)) gave the ships a very distinctive appearance.
USS AYLWIN
Construction of the Knox-class ships was allocated to Todd, Lockheed and
Avondale, with the latter receiving the bulk of the contracts. Aylwin (DE
1081; later FF 1081) was constructed there, laid down on 13 November
1969, launched on 20 August 1970 and completed on 18 September 1971.
She was decommissioned on 1 January 1992, and put up for sale on
1 November 1995. In addition to the 46 ships built for the US Navy (some
of which were later transferred to allies, though many more offered were
turned down), Spain constructed five to a slightly modified design as the
Baleares class.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Ocean escort/frigates
Machinery: 1-shaft Westinghouse turbine producing 35,000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 133.5m (438ft); beam, 14.3m (47ft)
Displacement: 3020t standard; 4060t deep load
Draught: 7.6m (25ft)
Complement: 224
