USS Simpson (FFG-56)

The USS Simpson (FFG-56) is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate formerly of the United States Navy. Named for Rear Admiral Rodger W. Simpson, she was commissioned on October 21, 1985, and decommissioned on September 27, 2019.

The Simpson is most notable for participating in Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, during which she, along with other U.S. Navy ships, engaged Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf. The Simpson is credited with sinking the Iranian Joshan (P225) missile boat with a Harpoon missile and gunfire, marking the last time a U.S. Navy ship sank an enemy vessel in surface-to-surface combat.

Throughout her service, the USS Simpson conducted numerous deployments, participating in exercises, maritime interdiction operations, and goodwill missions around the world. She was homeported in Mayport, Florida. Following her decommissioning, she was slated for dismantling. Her legacy as the last U.S. Navy ship to sink an enemy warship in combat remains a significant part of naval history.