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NAVSEA to Co-Host Third Annual International Frigate Working Group

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110513-27
5/13/2011

From Program Executive Office Ships Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Deputy Commander for Surface Warfare (SEA 21) and Commander, Naval Surface Force are scheduled to host the third meeting of the International Frigate Working Group May 16-20 in San Diego, Calif.

The meetings, which will be held at Naval Air Station North Island, brings together current operators of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates.

The International Frigate Working group presents a unique opportunity to foster communication between U.S. and allied partners in an effort to identify maintenance, obsolescence and logistics issues impacting the class, and also present alternatives for sustainment and modernization programs.

Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates continue to be a vital and capable asset to the fleet. These meetings demonstrate the U.S. Navy and its international partners are reviewing options to guarantee these ships remain combat relevant and cost-effective throughout their service lives.

"This open communication with our international partners is a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy's global maritime strategy," said Rear Adm. James McManamon, deputy commander for surface warfare at NAVSEA. "The opportunity to share success stories and lessons learned provide valuable insight and helps ensure our warships are ready for tasking."

The U.S. Navy currently operates 28 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, with some expected to continue service through 2019. A total of 34 Perry-class frigates are in use by partner navies, including Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Poland, Spain, Taiwan and Pakistan.

Frigates fulfill a protection of shipping mission as anti-submarine warfare combatants for amphibious expeditionary forces, underway replenishment groups and merchant convoys. The platform has proven its effectiveness in moderate threat multi-mission environments and has successfully executed maritime interception operations. Designed as cost-efficient surface combatants, they lack the multi-mission capability necessary for modern surface combatants faced with multiple, high-technology threats. They also offer limited capacity for growth. Despite this, the FFG 7 class is a robust platform, capable of withstanding considerable damage.

"This collaborative approach to sharing knowledge and experiences has proven to be immensely successful and informative in years past," said McManamon. "I'm looking forward to another opportunity to share the trials and successes of this ship class with our partner navies to continue to make strides with some of the modernization challenges."

Similar working groups are expected to take place in the coming years.

SEA 21 manages the complete life-cycle support for all non-nuclear surface ships and is the principal interface with the Surface Warfare Enterprise. The directorate is responsible for the maintenance and modernization of non-nuclear surface ships currently operating in the Fleet. Through planned modernization and upgrade programs, SEA 21 will equip today's surface ships. Additionally, SEA 21 oversees the ship inactivation process, including transfers or sales to friendly foreign navies, inactivation and or disposal.