About the Ship
The USS Kirk was an Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) platform. It was normally deployed as part of a task force, protecting an aircraft carrier from dangers lurking below the surface.
The ship began its life on December 4, 1970 when the keel was laid at Avondale Marine in Avondale, Louisiana. It was eventually launched on September 25, 1971 and brought around through the Panama Canal by a skeletal crew to Long Beach, California. After a year of outfitting and training, she was commissioned on September 9, 1972 as the USS Kirk DE-1087. On June 30, 1975 the Kirk was reclassified from a Destroyer Escort to a Fleet Frigate and her new designation became FF-1087.
The USS Kirk was decommissioned on August 6, 1993 and sold to Taiwan. There, the ship was renamed Fen Yang and was given the hull number 934. Seventeen years later, as I write this, she is still in service.
Specifications
- Displacement: 4,250 tons full load Dimensions: 438 x 46.5 x 24.5 feet
- Propulsion: Steam turbines, 2 boilers, 35000hp, 1 shaft
- Speed: 27knots
- Crew: Approx. 250
- Sonar: AN/SQS-26CX hull mounted and AN/SQS-35A towed array used with Mk114 underwater fire control system
- Rockets: Mk16 8-cell ASROC launcher (later modified to accept RGM-84 Harpoon missiles)
- Torpeoes: Two Mk32 Twin torpedo tubes for 24 Mk46 torpedoes
- Aircraft: Kaman SH-2F Seasprite
- Radar: SPS-40B 2D air search, SPS-10 surface search (later upgraded to SPS-67), and LN-66 land navigation
- ECM: SLQ-32 active/passive, SLQ-25 Nixie
- Main Gun: Mk42 5inch/54 rapid fire cannon used with SPG-53A radar and Mk68 Gun Fire Control System (GFCS) (Mk15 Phalanx 20mm Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) electric Gatling was added later)
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I just found this sight thanks to my son. I was on the Kirk from 1978-1980. Worked in the pit. I remember you Bob Ray and Richard (craze) Mckinley. Remember the night we were sinking in port? Ha-ha! Would love to hear from you guys or anybody else here me Sahr,Toad,Muggs,Quinn,Frank T.
Hi there. I just heard the NPR broadcast describing Kirk’s activities during Operation Frequent Wind evacuation of Vietnam. What memories; I was CIC Officer aboard USS Frederick (LST-1184) at the time, and we were operating with you guys. It was really good to hear Jake’s voice. I was a close friend of both John Pine and Steve Wesco. Wesco and I went through the NESEP Program together at Miami of Ohio, we served together in the Spruance new-construction program, and again in the Atlantic Fleet at SURFLANT. He was my closest shipmate… The last time I heard from Wes, he was the maintenance manager of a hospital in the Dayton, Ohio area. Would you perhaps have contact with him? If so please pass my contact info along to him – I would be so grateful…
Warm regards,
Lcdr Tom Service, USN retired
S/V Tiger Lilly
tom.service47@yahoo.com
(904) 207-3267
I was a plank owner 1972-1975, I was very proud of our ship and our crew miss you guys.
God Bless
Paul Sandoval
very interesting I was a Hospital Corpsman on the kirk in 1984.
Glad you found our site Jerry. We have an outstanding history of Hospital Corspman aboard the Kirk. Would like your accounts of action on the Kirk.
Bon
In 1988 I still remember the USS Kirk being in a Seatlle ship yard. I was a welder there and did some work on it!
Glad to hear she is still serving!
hey, i just found you guys. Iworked in aux.room 1 aboard Kirk in 78-79, Im glad to hear she is still serving. I would like any info. on the enginering crew you might have during this time period if possible. glad to know you guys are here,thanks. i will write again.
Spent 1986-1990 on the Kirk. Met a lot of good friends and had a lot of great times. Still remember Cmdr Darling’s saying “FIBAS” – Fun Is Being At Sea. Flight deck movies, shorts and great ports all followed.
I have been hoping and praying that one day this would happen. My prayers HAVE been answered,YYYYEEEEEEEHAW………!!!!!! Any crewmember of the KIRK,please feel free to call me anytime @:(704)657-3151..Especially “CAP’N JAKE”…
THANK YOU ALL for doing this,
Bill C.
GMT3/2
I was a Personnelman onboard from April 1983 to July 1986. Have albums full of photos. The best memories of my 20 year career were onboard “The Fleet’s Finest Frigate.” It was in Japan the three and a half years I was onboard. Great memories.
i talk to you all the time in chat..i would like to be a member….
I was on the Kirk from Oct 1976-Mar1980. Came on as a MMFN and left as a MM2. I loved Yokosuka and all the ports we hit while I was stationed on her.Would really like to hear from any one that was on the Kirk in that time period.
I was so stoked to learn that our Kirk was part of the USN’s flotilla for Seafair in Seattle, 1988. I was so looking forward to showing my two young sons the ship I served on. I was very disappointed to learn that the Kirk was going to a shipyard(Todd?) and was not open for tours. onboard 1973-1975
I served aboard Kirk from dec. 1978 thru 1980. They called me ”skull daddy”. I’d like to hear from any shipmates who served during this timeframe.
I am very impressed with the number of KIRK saliors who were aboard during the life of the ship. We do need to document the entire history of KIRK.
Mr. Jan Herman will have the book written of the events of 1975 by the end of December 31, 2011. The movie effort will begain
Paul H. Jacobs
Captain, USN Ret
Commanding Officer USS KIRK FF1087
{Aug 1974-Jul 1976}
Was on Kirk from 1983 – 1986 stationed out of Yokuska, Japan. Great memories on board Kirk West Pac and Crossing Equator twice. Proud to have served on the Kirk with a great bunch of shipmates.
I was a sonar tech on the Kirk from 73 to 75. I just happened to stumble onto the website for the Kirk. Boy does this bring back a flood of memories! All involved in the operation deserve to be very proud! Would like to join the assosiation.
Hi, I was master helmsman on kirk for 5yrs, Captain Darling and myself were a team for 2yrs, he was the best Captain I was with. We had ONLY 6 ft of water between us and the dome, piece of cake. He would call for me, lol , I was his only driver, lol. He was captain of the ship and his wife was captain of the base, how sweet is that, lol.
Captain, if you somehow get this, 85-89, shoot me an email, tks tom tom
Hi Guys!
40 yrs ago i was one of 13 that took her to long beach. 2nd day out broke my back, at long beach i was transfered the uss repose.4month in icu and then transfer the base security in long beach. if you can find it iam one of the plank owners.
Good luck to all
Fred/ht3