Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization

The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II-era destroyers by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter.

The program was started by Admiral Arleigh Burke as a response to estimates that the Soviet Navy would have a force of about 300 modern fast-attack submarines by 1957.

The U.S. Navy was unable to produce quickly enough the destroyer escorts (redesignated as frigates after 1975) and other antisubmarine warfare ships to counter this threat, given its other priorities in new antiaircraft warfare frigates (redesignated as cruisers after 1975) and aircraft carriers, so Admiral Burke instead looked for ways to modify the existing World War II destroyer, which were rapidly becoming outdated anyway.

[2] Burke oversaw preparation of a report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees entitled "The Aging Fleet."

The idea that became FRAM was only one of six recommendations of a special committee to address the poor material conditions of ships built during World War II.

In order to provide the ships with a credible antisubmarine weapon, the FRAM I upgrade for the Gearing class centered on the addition of AN/SQS-23 sonar and two new weapon systems, the ASROC rocket-assisted torpedo launcher with a range of one to five miles (not in FRAM II upgrades), and the DASH antisubmarine helicopter with a range of up to 22 miles (35 km).

[4] Ships from the Gearing class were completely torn down and rebuilt from the hull up, including new engines, a much larger combat information center, and new sonar and radar systems.

[5] Lacking ASROC, the Allen M. Sumners were left without a standoff ASW capability, and were decommissioned 1970–1973, with most being transferred to foreign navies.

Both of the replacement classes had the same ASW armament as a Gearing FRAM I destroyer, with the addition of more and faster ASROC reloads, improved sonar, and a piloted helicopter, typically the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite.

[6][7] The Essex-class aircraft carriers modified for ASW service received the SCB 144 upgrade in 1960–1964 as part of the FRAM II program.