Kauffman deploys Wednesday, the last frigate cruise

The frigate Kauffman will depart on its final deployment Wednesday.

It will be the last deployment for an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.

While there have been 51 frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, the Navy has reduced that number to single digits. Lawmakers and Navy leaders, faced with diminishing budgets, made the decision to sell most frigates to foreign navies as the ships' hulls hit their three-decade lifespan.

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