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USS Downes (FF-1070)
Encyclopedia
USS Downes (DE-1070/FF-1070) was the 19th in the series of the Knox class frigate
s. She was the third ship to be named for Commodore John Downes
Downes keel was laid 5 September 1968 by Todd Pacific Shipyards
Corp., Seattle, Washington, and was christened on 13 December 1969 during launching by her sponsor Mrs. Philip L. Kelton, the great-granddaughter of the late Commodore John Downes. The ship was commissioned 28 August 1971
Downes performed Anti-Submarine Warfare
operations, escort duty and naval diplomacy support, when necessary, for the Pacific Fleet. Decommissioned on 5 June 1992, Downes was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 11 January 1995.
Downes was disposed during fleet training in 2003 and sunk close to Mare Island
during a SINKEX
.
Knox class frigate
Knox class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts , but were all redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975 in the USN 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.A sub-class of the Knox class was built, commonly referred to as...
s. She was the third ship to be named for Commodore John Downes
John Downes (naval officer)
Commodore John Downes was an officer in the United States Navy, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.-Early life and career:...
Downes keel was laid 5 September 1968 by Todd Pacific Shipyards
Todd Pacific Shipyards
Vigor Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation through the merger of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company of Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, the Tietjen & Long Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company...
Corp., Seattle, Washington, and was christened on 13 December 1969 during launching by her sponsor Mrs. Philip L. Kelton, the great-granddaughter of the late Commodore John Downes. The ship was commissioned 28 August 1971
Downes performed Anti-Submarine Warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
operations, escort duty and naval diplomacy support, when necessary, for the Pacific Fleet. Decommissioned on 5 June 1992, Downes was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 11 January 1995.
Downes was disposed during fleet training in 2003 and sunk close to Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
during a SINKEX
SINKEX
SINKEX or Sink Exercise is a US military term for the test of a weapons system usually involving a torpedo or missile attack of an unmanned target ship. The US Navy sometimes refers to this type of exercise as a HULKEX...
.