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History of USS Thach (FFG-43)

USS Thach (FFG-43) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate of the United States Navy, commissioned on 17 March 1984. Named after Admiral John Thach, a World War II naval aviator and tactician, the ship was primarily engaged in escort, patrol, and anti-submarine warfare missions. Throughout her service, USS Thach participated in various operations, including counter-narcotics deployments in the Caribbean and multinational exercises in the Pacific and Middle East. After nearly three decades of service, she was decommissioned on 1 November 2013.

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ABOUT USS Thach (FFG-43)

  • Namesake: USS Thach (FFG-43) was named after Admiral John S. "Jimmy" Thach, a legendary World War II naval aviator famous for devising the "Thach Weave" dogfighting tactic.
  • Class: Thach was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, a class renowned for versatility and service with dozens of navies worldwide.
  • Commissioning: USS Thach was commissioned on 17 March 1984 in Long Beach, California, with Admiral Thach himself present at the ceremony.
  • Cold War Service: Thach served during the final decade of the Cold War, conducting anti-submarine warfare and escort operations in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
  • Operation Earnest Will: In 1987, USS Thach participated in Operation Earnest Will, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Persian Gulf amidst the Iran-Iraq War.
  • Humanitarian Missions: Thach was involved in several humanitarian and rescue missions, including assisting Vietnamese boat people in the South China Sea during the late 1980s.
  • Drug Interdiction: In the 1990s, Thach was deployed for counter-narcotics patrols in the Eastern Pacific, helping seize illegal drug shipments heading for North America.
  • 9/11 Response: Following the September 11 attacks, Thach was dispatched for Homeland Defense duties and later supported Operation Noble Eagle.
  • Decommissioning: USS Thach was decommissioned on 1 November 2013, after nearly 30 years of continuous service to the US Navy.
  • Final Fate: In July 2016, Thach was sunk as a target during the RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) exercise, helping to train allied naval forces and providing valuable live-fire training data.

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