~ museum quality, handcrafted, custom built wood model ships ~
~ museum quality, handcrafted, custom built wood model ships ~
Charles F. Adams Class Guided Missile Destroyers
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Images of actual model not yet available
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The Charles F. Adams class of missile destroyers - constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s - grew out of the highly successful Forrest Sherman design, with a larger hull and one 5" gun replaced by a Tartar surface-to-air missile launcher. Starting with DDG-2 USS Charles F. Adams (lead ship of the class) there were 23 ships built for the US Navy. DDG-2 to DDG-9 were originally ordered as DD-952 to DD-959. DDG-5 was originally commissioned as USS Biddle. The Charles Adams Class was a particularly versatile ship and the first destroyers planned and built as guided missile ships. Designed to meet the new challenges of the Cold War, the ships were the most heavily armed ships at the time of their construction. Designed primarily to provide anti-air defense for carriers, the ships were fitted with long range surveillance radars capable of detecting aircraft at ranges of 200 miles. The major anti-aircraft weapon was the standard surface-to-air missile with a range of 25 miles. Two 5-inch rapid-fire guns were used for air defense, surface action and shore bombardment, delivering 70 rounds/minute onto targets up to 12 miles away. Anti-submarine capability was provided by a powerful sonar underneath the bow. For close-range attack, torpedoes were launched from tubes on each side of the ship. Despite periodic modernizations, the decision was made to accelerate the retirement of these ships (with the complete class having been retired by 1993) since further modernization to install the needed New Threat Upgrade (NTU) would not have been cost effective given the service life remaining. The class was replaced by the highly capable, multi-mission, AEGIS equipped, Arleigh Burke Class. - Australia ordered 3 hulls (DDG-25 to DDG-27) which were renamed D-38 HMAS Perth, D-39 HMAS Hobart and D-41 HMAS Brisbane. After decommissioning, two of them were sunk for artificial reefs and the third is awaiting the same fate. Germany ordered 3 hulls (DDG-28 to DDG-30) which were renamed D-185 FGS Lütjens, D-186 FGS Mölders and D-187 FGS Rommel, respectively. Greece received five of the decommissioned US Navy
ships (some are still active). Those ships are: |
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