USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Lewis B. Puller.

USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23) was the fifteenth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates in the United States Navy. She was the first US Navy ship to be named for United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller (1898–1971). Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California on 28 February 1977 as part of the FY77 program, Lewis B. Puller was laid down on 23 May 1979, launched on 15 March 1980, and commissioned on 17 April 1982. Decommissioned and stricken on 18 September 1998, she was transferred to Egypt the same day as Toushka (F906).^[1]

USS Lewis B Puller in 1983
History
United States
Name	Lewis B. Puller
Namesake	Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller
Ordered	28 February 1977
Builder	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California
Laid down	23 May 1979
Launched	15 March 1980
Sponsored by	Mrs. Lewis B. Puller, widow of Lieutenant General Puller
Acquired	1 March 1982
Commissioned	17 April 1982
Decommissioned	18 September 1998
Stricken	18 September 1998
Homeport	San Diego, California (former)
Identification	Hull symbol:FFG-23 Code letters:NLBP
Motto	"Esprit – Discipline – Service"
Fate	transferred to Egyptian Navy, 18 September 1998[1]
Badge
ENS Toushka in May 2013
Egypt
Name	Toushka
Namesake	Area near Toshka Lakes
Acquired	18 September 1996[1]
Commissioned	December 1998[1]
Identification	F906
Status	in active service
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
Displacement	4,100 long tons (4,200 t), full load
Length	445 feet (136 m), overall
Beam	45 feet (14 m)
Draft	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	1 × SH-2F LAMPS I[3]

References

1. Wertheim, Eric, ed. (2007). "Egypt". The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (15th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2. OCLC 140283156.
2. "USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
3. "USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23)". Navysite.de. Retrieved 11 April 2015.

 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.

External links

• MaritimeQuest USS Lewis B. Puller FFG-23 pages
• GlobalSecurity.org FFG-23