USS Kauffman

USS *Kauffman* (FFG-59)
	USS Kauffman (FFG-59), in 1986.
History
United States
Name	Kauffman
Namesake	Vice Admiral James L. Kauffman; Rear Admiral Draper L. Kauffman;
Awarded	28 October 1982
Builder	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Laid down	8 April 1985
Launched	29 March 1986
Sponsored by	Elizabeth Kauffman Bush
Commissioned	28 February 1987
Decommissioned	18 September 2015
Homeport	NS Norfolk, Virginia
Identification	Hull symbol:FFG-59; Code letters:NJLK; ;
Motto	"Toujours en Vedette"; ("Always in the Lead");
Nickname(s)	Special K
Status	decommissioned
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate
Displacement	4,100 long tons (4,200 t), full load
Length	453 feet (138 m), overall
Beam	45 feet (14 m)
Draught	22 feet (6.7 m)
Propulsion	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller; 2 × Auxiliary Propulsion Units, 350 hp (260 kW) retractable electric azimuth thrusters for maneuvering and docking.;
Speed	over 29 knots (54 km/h)
Range	5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots (9,300 km at 33 km/h)
Complement	15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Sensors and ; processing systems	AN/SPS-49 air-search radar; AN/SPS-55 surface-search radar; CAS and STIR fire-control radar; AN/SQS-56 sonar.;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	AN/SLQ-32
Armament	As built:; 1 × OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun; 2 × Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes; 1 × Vulcan Phalanx CIWS; 4 × .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns.; 1 × Mk 13 Mod 4 single-arm launcher for Harpoon anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Standard anti-ship/air missiles (40 round magazine); Note: As of 2004, Mk 13 systems removed from all active US vessels of this class.;
Aircraft carried	2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters
Aviation facilities	2 × hangars; RAST helicopter hauldown system;

USS Kauffman (FFG-59), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Vice Admiral James L. Kauffman (1887–1963) and his son, Rear Admiral Draper L. Kauffman (1911–1979), both experts in sub-surface naval missions.

Kauffman was laid down on 8 April 1985 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 29 March 1986; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth Kauffman Bush, the daughter of Vice Admiral James L. Kauffman and sister of Rear Admiral Draper L. Kauffman; and commissioned on 28 February 1987 at Bath, Maine.^[1]

As of 2012, Kauffman was homeported at NS Norfolk, Virginia, and assigned to Destroyer Squadron 22.

Kauffman deployed for the final time on 8 January 2015. She was decommissioned on 18 September 2015. At the time of her decommission, she was one of only two Oliver Hazzard Perry-class ships remaining; the last Oliver Hazard Perry-class ship to be decommissioned was USS Simpson (FFG-56).^[2]

History

Note: the milestones are extracted from the official command histories and no other sources. The set of command histories available is not complete, resulting in the partial record following.^[3]

1988^[4]

6 January – 28 May: 4100 ton modifications by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
12 August: a sailor died instantly when the Slewing Arm Davit broke from its mount and fell on him.

1989^[5]

31 May – 10 November: Maiden deployment, Med 3–89
4–7 August: Port visit to Sevastopol, Soviet Union
October: Sixth Fleet "Hook'em" Award for best ASW platform in Sixth Fleet AO in 1989
13 September – 3 October: NATO exercise Display Determination-89

1990^[6]

9 January: presented with Battle 'E'
15 January – 15 March: ships restricted availability, #1A gas turbine engine and the Mk. 75 76mm gun mount are replaced
8–15 June: BALTOPS-90
27–30 June: Gdynia, Poland port visit

1991^[7]

26 April – 26 October: deployment, MEF 2–91
4 June – 16 September: Middle East Force (MEF) operations in the Persian Gulf

1992^[8]

6 January – 21 February: counter narcotic operations, Caribbean Sea
- towed a vessel that had lost propulsion 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
- rescued the crew from the stricken 237 feet (72 m) coastal freighter Ramsli just before she sank
2 August – 23 October: Ships Restricted Availability (Drydock), by Bath Iron Works Bath, Maine
15 September: presented with Battle 'E'

1993^[9]

11 March – 8 September: deployed, Med 2–93
29 April – 18 June: Operation Deny Flight in the Adriatic Sea, Operation Maritime Guard
22 June – 17 August: Maritime Interdiction Operations enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq, North Red Sea
7 November: provided assistance to the Argentine frigate ARA Granville (P-33) while in port at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico
9 November – 6 December: counter drug operations, Caribbean Sea

1994^[10]

13 May – 3 June: Maritime Interception Operations enforcing United Nations sanctions against Haiti
6 June: Homeport shift from Newport, Rhode Island, to Norfolk, Virginia
1 July – 1 August: Operation Support Democracy, Haiti with 3 US Army OH-58 Kiowa helicopters
5–6 July: rescued 787 migrants from Haitian waters, transported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
20–21 July: towed the Motor Vessel Valerie I from the south coast of Haiti to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1996^[11]

24 April: completion of an extended ships restricted availability period beginning September 1995, including installation of Mod 6 to the Mk 92 Guided Missile Fire Control System
8 July – 24 August: counter drug operations, Caribbean Sea
20 September: Commander John A. Kunert, USN relieves Commander David F. Britt, USN
10–31 December: Operation Carib Shield – counter drug operations, Caribbean Sea

1997^[12]

1–17 January: Operation Carib Shield – counter drug operations, Caribbean Sea
4 March – 24 June: ships restricted availability (drydock) by Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company

1998^[13]

13 March – 11 September: deployed, Med (originally tasked to Middle East Force)
12 October – 11 December: planned restricted availability

1999^[14]

15–18 September: sortied for Hurricane Dennis

2004^[15]

15 July – 22 September: ships restricted availability, installed Mk 53 "Nulka" Decoy Launching System (DLS)

References

^ Frey, Courtney; Evans, Mark L. (1 October 2015). "Kauffman (FFG-59)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
^ "USS Kauffman to be Decommissioned". U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman Public Affairs. 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "Kauffman (FFG-59) Command Operations Reports". Naval History and Heritage Command. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1988" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 31 March 1989. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1989" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 1 March 1990. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1990" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 1 January 1991. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1991" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 13 January 1992. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1992" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 March 1993. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1993" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 14 March 1994. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1994" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 13 March 1995. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1996" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 2 June 1997. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1997" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 10 February 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1998" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 25 February 1999. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 1999" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 1 February 2000. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
^ "USS Kauffman command history 2004" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 9 May 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2019.

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.