During its career as USS
Jack Williams (FFG-24) in the United States, it was the sixteenth ship of the
Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile
frigates. It was named for Pharmacist's Mate Second Class
Jack Williams, who was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor for his heroism in the
Battle of Iwo Jima. The frigate was ordered from
Bath Iron Works on 28 February 1977 as part of the
FY77 Program.
Jack Williams was laid down on 25 February 1980;
launched on 30 August 1980 and
commissioned on 19 September 1981. Decommissioned and stricken on 13 September 1996, she was transferred to Bahrain the same day as a gift. The ship was formally recommissioned as the RBNS
Sabha (90) on 25 February 1997. The frigate was named after a
sea fort in
Zubarah (located in today
Qatar), historically belonged to
Al Khalifa royal family of Bahrain.
Sabha arrived in the
Persian Gulf in June 1997 for a workup and crew training. == Citations ==