Norfolk, Va. - The final frigate will be leaving Hampton Roads on its last deployment this week.
The USS Kauffman was scheduled to deploy on Wednesday, but the Navy pushed back the deployment by one day due to weather issues. On Thursday, there were issues with the ship's anchor, so the deployment was pushed back yet again.
The USS Kauffman is the last frigate in the Oliver Hazard Perry class. Once the work horse of the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile frigates are going the way of the dinosaurs.
Frigates are out -- and a new class of ship is taking their spots in the U.S. fleet, but not before just one more mission.
The Kauffman hit the high seas in 1987.
By 2019, all of the frigates are scheduled to be replaced by littoral combat ships.
For its final deployment, the Kauffman will be heading to the 4th Fleet, which covers parts of the Caribbean and Central and South America.
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