The US Navy has decommissioned the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Elrod at Naval Station Norfolk, US.
Named after US Marine Corps aviator, Maj Henry T. Elrod, the frigate was christened and launched on 12 May 1984, before being commissioned on 18 May 1985.
Command senior chief Nathaniel Griffin said: "Up until her last day, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ and her crew accomplished the mission and did so with pride.
"That sort of consistent performance is generally not seen on a 30-year-old ship.
"Frigate sailors set the standard by working hard and making things work when the odds are against them."
USS Elrod was last deployed in 2014 to the US 6th Fleet area of operations to bolster national security interests in Europe and Africa.
During this deployment in the Mediterranean, the frigate conducted maritime security operations with the MQ-8B Fire Scout. It will now be proposed for foreign military sales.
The navy has six active frigates, the last of which will be decommissioned later this year.
Image: The US Navy’s Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55). Photo: courtesy of the US Navy, photo by Ensign Jessica Kellogg.
