Between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, Bath Iron Works began a busy program of US Naval construction. BIW was the lead yard for the Oliver Hazard Perry class of frigates, and also built nine of the Ticonderoga class of guided missile destroyers. Many are still serving with the Fleet, while a number of retired Perry class FFGs are active with allied navies worldwide.
-
USS OLIVER HAZARD PERRY (FFG 7) – LAUNCHED SEPT. 25, 1976
John Wayne attended the christening of Oliver Hazard Perry. A folktale was born when the ship didn't move after the bottle break. Wayne pushed against the bow and the ship started moving.
-
USS MCINERNEY (FFG 8) – LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 4, 1978
In 2003, McInerney completed a successful counter-drug operations deployment, which included a drug bust of an Ecuadorian fishing vessel carrying nearly 10 tons of cocaine.
-
USS CLARK (FFG 11) – LAUNCHED MARCH 24, 1979
On March 15, 2000, CLARK was transferred to the Polish Navy where she became the second-largest ship in the fleet.
-
USS DOYLE (FFG 39) – LAUNCHED MAY 22, 1982
During Doyle’s 28 years of service, it went on at least six deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and two deployments to the Persian Gulf, including participation in Operation Earnest Will.
-
USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58) – LAUNCHED DEC. 8, 1984
In January 1988, the ship was struck by a mine in the Persian Gulf. The mine broke the keel and left a 15-foot hole in the hull. Although the extensive damage would sink most ships, “Sammy B” managed to be saved.
-
USS PHILIPPINE SEA (CG 58) – LAUNCHED JULY 12, 1987
The ship transported the ashes of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, where he was buried at sea in the Atlantic Ocean.
-
USS Cowpens (CG 63) – LAUNCHED MARCH 11, 1991
In March 2003 Cowpens became the first United States Navy ship to launch ordnance in the opening stages of the Iraq War, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
-
USS Gettysburg (CG 64) – LAUNCHED JULY 22, 1991
On May 13, 2009, the Gettysburg crew apprehended 17 pirates off the coast of Yemen and the pirates were attempting to hijack an Egyptian ship. This incident was featured on the Spike TV network special U.S. Navy: Pirate Hunters.