The USS Lockwood (FF-1064) was the 13th ship of the Knox-class frigates, originally designated as a destroyer escort (DE-1064) upon commissioning in December 1970. Constructed by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, she was laid down on November 3, 1967, launched on September 5, 1968, and delivered to the Navy on December 1, 1970. The vessel was named after Charles A. Lockwood. Design-wise, the USS Lockwood measured 438 feet (133.5 meters) in length, with a beam of 47 feet (14.3 meters) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 meters). She displaced approximately 4,066 long tons (4,131 metric tons) at full load and was crewed by 13 officers and 211 enlisted personnel. Her propulsion system comprised one Westinghouse geared steam turbine capable of producing 35,000 shaft horsepower, driving a single propeller. This allowed her to achieve a maximum speed of 27 knots (50 km/h). Her operational range was 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. Armament included a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward, a single 3-inch/50-caliber gun aft, and an eight-round RUR-5 ASROC launcher positioned between the main gun and the bridge. For close-range anti-submarine defense, she was equipped with two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. Originally, the ship carried a DASH drone helicopter in a telescoping hangar and landing pad amidships, which was later replaced in the 1970s by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter, prompting modifications to the hangar and deck. In May 1975, USS Lockwood was reassigned to the forward-deployed Destroyer Squadron 15, with her homeport moving to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the USS Midway battle group. She was reclassified as a frigate (FF-1064) on June 30, 1975. She participated in various deployments, including cruises with the Midway group in 1977 and 1981, during which she conducted exercises such as MIDLINK-77 with the Iranian Navy and visited ports in Australia, Iran, and Singapore. Notably, in 1978, she visited Perth/Fremantle, Western Australia, for R&R. In July 1988, USS Lockwood changed her home port to Naval Station Long Beach, California, serving with Destroyer Squadron 9 until her decommissioning on September 30, 1993. After her decommissioning, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and dismantled via recycling in August 2000. Her ship’s bell now resides with VAQ-209 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state. The USS Lockwood’s service reflects her role in Cold War maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare, and international port visits, contributing to U.S. naval presence in the Pacific region.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.