The USS Robert E. Peary (FF-1073) was a Knox-class frigate that served in the United States Navy from 1972 until its decommissioning in 1992. Constructed by the Lockheed Ship Building and Drydock Company in Seattle, Washington, the vessel was laid down on December 20, 1970, launched on June 26, 1971, and commissioned on September 23, 1972. Named after explorer Robert E. Peary, this was the third US Navy vessel to bear his name. The Knox-class design was derived from the Brooke class, modified to extend range and removed long-range missile systems. The USS Robert E. Peary 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). It displaced approximately 4,066 long tons (4,131 metric tons) at full load and was crewed by 13 officers and 211 enlisted personnel. Powered by a single Westinghouse geared steam turbine producing 35,000 shaft horsepower, the ship drove a single propeller to reach a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h). Its range was 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. The ship's 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 guns and the bridge. It was equipped with close-range anti-submarine weapons, including two twin 12.75-inch Mk 32 torpedo tubes, and initially carried a DASH drone helicopter, later replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter, with modifications to the hangar and landing deck. After conducting trials along the northern Pacific coast, USS Robert E. Peary arrived at its home port in Long Beach, California, in November 1972. It primarily operated in the Pacific, including deployment to WestPac in November 1973. Decommissioned on August 7, 1992, the ship was loaned to the Republic of China Navy and renamed Chi Yang (FF-932). It was commissioned into their service on October 6, 1993, and remained active until May 1, 2015, when it was decommissioned and cannibalized for parts. The vessel was sunk as a target off Taiwan’s southeast coast on July 15, 2020.

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