Lepanto-class destroyer

{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = File:Spanish destroyer Lepanto (D-21) underway at sea, circa in the 1970s.jpg

| Ship caption = Lepanto underway at sea, {{circa|1970s}}

}}{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Lepanto class

| Builders = *Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation

| Operators = {{navy|Spain}}

| Class before = {{sclass|Audaz|destroyer|4}}

| Class after = {{sclass|Oquendo|destroyer|4}}

| Total ships planned = 5

| Built range = 1941–1943

| Total ships on order =

| Total ships completed = 5

| Total ships active =

| In commission range = 1957–1988

| Total ships retired = 5

| Subclasses = {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer|4}}

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

| Hide header =

| Header caption =

| Ship type = Destroyer

| Ship class =

| Ship displacement = *{{convert|2050|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard

{{convert|2500|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full

| Ship length = *{{convert|376.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship beam = {{convert|39.5|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship draft = {{convert|17.5|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship depth =

| Ship hold depth =

| Ship propulsion = *4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, {{convert|60,000|shp|MW|abbr=on}}

2 × screws

| Ship speed = {{convert|36.5|kn|lk=in}}

| Ship range = {{convert|5500|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|abbr=on}}

| Ship complement = 329

| Ship armament = *5 × single 5"/38 cal guns

3 × twin 40 mm bofors
3 × single Oerlikon 20 mm guns
2 × triple Mark 44 torpedo tubes
2 × Mark 10 Hedgehog mortars
2 × depth charge track

| Ship sensors = *1 × AN/SPS-6 air-search radar

1 × AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar
1 × Mark 37 Director

| Ship armor =

| Ship notes =

}}

The Lepanto class was a class of five destroyers of the Spanish Navy, which originated from the US Navy {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}}s. They entered service in 1957, with the last one being decommissioned in 1988.{{Cite web|title=Lepanto D20 ex US Fletcher class Destroyer DD - Spanish Navy Armada Espanola|url=https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Spanish-Navy/Destroyer/Lepanto-Fletcher-class.htm|access-date=2021-06-15|website=www.seaforces.org}}

History

These are ships used by the United States Navy during World War II and slightly modernized in electronics and weaponry at the beginning of the 1950s. They were once magnificent ships, which throughout the 1960s constituted the backbone of the Spanish Navy. Eventually, they were replaced in escort duties by the {{sclass|Descubierta|corvette|1}}s in the early 1980s. However, they remained in service until well into the 1980s, when they were downright obsolete.

They received five destroyers of the {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer|4}} for the Spanish Navy from the United States from 1957 to 1988 as part of the Military Assistance Program.

They were all put out of service between 1985 till 1988.

Characteristics

Before the takeover, the ships were modernized to a considerable extent. All but three 20 mm Oerlikon cannons were removed and the three 40 mm Bofors guns remained. The electronics were modernized and the mast was replaced by a tripod mast.

All five ships were retrofitted with two triple Mark 44 torpedo tubes on each side of the ship.