USS Jarrett
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USS ''Jarrett'' (FFG-33), was the twenty-fifth ship of the
guided missile frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s, was named for Vice Admiral
Harry B. Jarrett Harry Bean Jarrett (12 October 1898 – 9 April 1974) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral (United States), vice admiral. A veteran of several campaigns in Pacific during World War II, he distin ...
(1898–1974). Ordered from
Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division was a shipyard in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. Before applying its last corporate name, the shipyard had been called Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company and Todd Shipyards, Los Angeles ...
, San Pedro,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
on 23 January 1978 as part of the FY78 program, ''Jarrett'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
on 11 February 1981, launched on 17 October 1981, commissioned on 2 July 1983, and decommissioned on 21 April 2011. ''Jarrett'' was the first US Navy warship to be commanded by a woman, Commander Kathleen A. McGrath, from 18 December 1998 until 4 September 2000.


Service history


12 May—12 November 1987

During a deployment to the Western Pacific,
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
, and
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
''Jarrett'' took part in
Operation Earnest Will Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988) was an American military protection of Kuwaiti-owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest na ...
, an operation to maintain freedom of navigation within the Persian Gulf, that included renaming and reflagging 11
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
i tankers. In the " Tanker War" between the
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ians and
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
is, the Iranians utilized 1,662 ton former
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
n roll-on, roll-off vessel to lay
mines Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun Mi ...
to cut the sea lanes to Iraq. ''Iran Ajr'' stopped overnight on 21 September 1987, at a two-towered
rig Rig or RIG may refer to: Objects and structures * Rig (fishing), an arrangement of items used for fishing * Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground * Rig (stage lighting) * rig, a horse-drawn c ...
named ''Rashadat'' in the Rastam gas-oil separation platform (GOSP) complex, 120 miles east of
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. The rig had been shut down for almost two years following Iraqi discovery that the Iranians used ''Rashadat'' for radar tracking of ships and for launching small boats. ''Iran Ajr'' turned toward the tanker routes, but just before midnight three
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
helicopters, consisting of a Boeing MH-6 "Little Bird" and a pair of AH-6 "Sea Bats" of the
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR(A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have included ...
, at least one of the helos flew from ''Jarrett'', surprised the minelayer 50 miles northeast of Bahrain. President Ronald W. Reagan later announced that ''Iran Ajr'' posed "a direct threat to the safety of U.S. warships and other U.S.-flag vessels." The Iranian ship began to lay mines in an area where
Middle East Force United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of the ...
(MEF) flagship sailed, and when reporters afterwards queried
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Harold J. Bernsen, Commander MEF, about the Iranians' intent to sink the flagship he replied, "Absolutely." At 2302 therefore, the Army helos announced "inbound hot" and attacked the Iranian ship into the mid-watch, damaging her with 2.75 in (70 mm) rockets and 7.62 mm (0.30 in)
M134 Minigun The M134 Minigun is an American 7.62×51mm NATO six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly with an external power source, normally an electric ...
fire, and killing at least four crewmen. ''La Salle'', amphibious assault ship , guided-missile cruisers and , guided-missile destroyer , and guided-missile frigates and ''Jarrett'' made for the area. Men of Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) Team 2 backed-up by two Marine helos, boarded and captured the ship from a landing craft during the morning watch. The boarders gathered 24 survivors on board or from the water (one later died), impounded the minelayer, photographed evidence, and located at least nine remaining mines. The prisoners were later returned to Iran.


7 December 1990 – 6 June 1991

During a deployment to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf, ''Jarrett'', with two
Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...
s of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light) (HSL)-45 Detachment 2 embarked took part in the Persian Gulf War I. During the coalition air attacks in Operation Desert Storm, many Iraqi jets fled to Iran. Following ''Jarrett''s arrival in the Persian Gulf on 25 January 1991, she consequently operated as an antiair picket off the Iranian coast (3–11 February). The ship then embarked two Army Bell OH-58D "Kiowas" and 13 soldiers of B Troop, 4th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (Air) (Reconnaissance), 18th Aviation Brigade (Corps) (Airborne). On 16 February 1991, the "Kiowas" flew a night coastal reconnaissance flight, and ''Jarrett'' re-directed them approximately 40 miles north to assess bomb damage on an Iraqi HY-2G "Silkworm" (CSS-C-2 Sea Eagle-2)
surface-to-surface missile A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations, or from a ship. They ar ...
site. Navy Grumman A-6E "Intruders" bombed the site, but the helos discovered that the "Intruders" failed to destroy the Silkworms, and carrier jets bombed them again. The two helicopters refueled on board ''Jarrett'' and lifted off, equipped with
AGM-114 Hellfire The AGM-114 Hellfire is an American missile developed for anti-armor use, later developed for precision drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. It was originally developed under the name " Heliborne laser, fi ...
air-to-ground missiles An air-to-surface missile (ASM) or air-to-ground missile (AGM) is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft at targets on land or sea. There are also unpowered guided glide bombs not considered missiles. The two most common prop ...
.
Battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
operated an
AAI RQ-2 Pioneer The AAI RQ-2 Pioneer is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was used by the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Army, and deployed at sea and on land from 1986 until 2007. Initially tested aboard USS ''Iowa'', the RQ-2 Pioneer was placed aboa ...
remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) subsequently designated an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that helped the battleship direct her naval gunfire support of the troops fighting ashore. Crewmen launched the Pioneer with the assistance of a rocket-powered booster and recovered the aircraft by utilizing a net strung between two cables on the fantail. The vehicle transmitted images to shipboard TV monitors that enabled men to "walk" rounds onto their targets. The Pioneer revealed that at least one Iraqi missile survived the second bombing, and one of the "Kiowas" launched a Hellfire that destroyed the Silkworm. ''Jarrett'' passed through areas swept clear of mines off the
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
i coast and joined
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
and
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
while they protected ''Missouri'' as the battleship shelled enemy troops ashore. An Iraqi battery at al-Finţās fired two Silkworms at the formation of allied ships, at 0452 on 25 February 1991. One of the Silkworms misfired and crashed into the sea shortly after the Iraqis launched it, but the other missile hurtled toward ''Missouri'' at 605 knots and a height of 375 feet above the water. The U.S. and British ships tracked the incoming missile on their radar. From the bridge of the Jarrett, Lt. Craig Isaacson ordered
chaff Chaff (; ) is dry, scale-like plant material such as the protective seed casings of cereal grains, the scale-like parts of flowers, or finely chopped straw. Chaff cannot be digested by humans, but it may be fed to livestock, ploughed into soil ...
, torchs, and
decoys A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''eenden kooi'', "Duck decoy (structure), duck cage") is usually a person, tool, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking f ...
to be launched to confound the missile's guidance. ''Missouri'' also fired its
SRBOC The BAE Systems Mark 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures Chaff and Decoy Launching System (abbreviated as SRBOC or "Super-arboc") is an American short-range decoy launching system (DLS) that launches radar or infrared decoys from naval v ...
chaff at this time. The
Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS () is an automated gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Co ...
system on ''Jarrett'', operating in the automatic target-acquisition mode, fixed on ''Missouri''s chaff, releasing a burst of rounds. From this burst, four rounds hit ''Missouri'' which was from ''Jarrett'' at the time. There were no injuries. ''Gloucester'' shot down the missile with two
Sea Dart Sea Dart, or GWS.30 was a Royal Navy surface-to-air missile system designed in the 1960s and entering service in 1973. It was fitted to the Type 42 destroyers, the single Type 82 destroyer and the s. Originally developed by Hawker Siddeley, t ...
surface-to-air missiles. Later, ''Missouri'' launched a Pioneer RPV that discovered the Iraqi Silkworm battery and the battleship fired 30 16-inch rounds and knocked out the battery. After the cease-fire, ''Jarrett'' escorted merchant ships through "mine danger areas" (1 March–14 April).


31 January 2000

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washi ...
, a
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gener ...
airliner, crashed into the Pacific north of
Anacapa Island Anacapa Island ( Chumash: ''Anyapax'', meaning "mirage, illusion") is a small volcanic island located about off Port Hueneme in Ventura County, California. The island is composed of a series of narrow islets long, oriented generally east ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, killing all 88 people on board, on 31 January 2000. A Lockheed NP-3D Orion from
Point Mugu, California Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian te ...
, two Sikorsky HH-60H Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HCS) 5 from Point Mugu, and
Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
helos and a Lockheed HC-130H Hercules responded.
Aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
supported rescue crews, and Navy mapping with underwater side scanning sonar and video enabled the searchers to recover pieces of wreckage. Reinforcements included
amphibious transport dock An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently oper ...
, destroyer and ''Jarrett'', these ships embarked HH-60 and SH-60 Seahawks, and a
Lockheed S-3B Viking The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Corporation. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" after t ...
from
Naval Air Station North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...
. The ship may have been assigned to a Destroyer squadron that formed part of Carrier Strike Group Three after 2004.


11 May–19 October 2009

The ship, with HSL-49 Detachment 3 and Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment 101 embarked (followed by 107), sailed on a counter-narcotics deployment to the Eastern Pacific. Her operations resulted in the seizure or disruption of the smuggling of over nine tons of
narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "I make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
with an estimated street value of $266 million.


Current status

On 21 April 2011, ''Jarrett'' was decommissioned at
Naval Base San Diego Naval Base San Diego is a United States Navy base in San Diego, California. It is the world's second largest surface ship naval base. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet, consisting of over 50 ships ...
after 15 deployments, and was transported to the
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...
as its final destination, becoming part of the Mothball Fleet. The ship's most recent deployment was a six-month counter-illicit trafficking deployment, supporting U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command. In 2015, this ship was scrapped. ''Jarrett'' was the first ship of that name in the US Navy.


References

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External links

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USS Jarrett FFG-33
@ MaritimeQuest

@ GlobalSecurity.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrett (FFG-33) 1981 ships Gulf War ships of the United States Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates of the United States Navy Ships built in Los Angeles Cold War frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States