Frederick was a which were designed to meet the goal put forward by the United States
amphibious forces to have a tank landing ship (LST) capable of over . However, the traditional
bow door form for LSTs would not be capable. Therefore, the designers of the
Newport class came up with a design of a traditional
ship hull with a
aluminum ramp slung over the bow supported by two
derrick arms. The ramp was capable of sustaining loads up to . This made the
Newport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early
World War II.
Frederick had a
displacement of when light and at full load. The LST was
long overall and over the
derrick arms which protruded past the bow. The vessel had a
beam of , a
draft forward of and at the stern at full load.
Frederick was fitted with six
Alco 251-C
diesel engines turning two
shafts, three to each shaft. The system was rated at and gave the ship a maximum speed of for short periods and could only sustain for an extended length of time. The LST carried of
diesel fuel for a range of at the cruising speed of . The ship was also equipped with a
bow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles. The
Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry. The LSTs have a ramp forward of the
superstructure that connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a passage large enough to allow access to the parking area amidships. The vessels are also equipped with a stern gate to allow the unloading of amphibious vehicles directly into the water or to unload onto a
utility landing craft (LCU) or pier. At either end of the tank deck there is a turntable that permits vehicles to turn around without having to reverse. The
Newport class has the capacity for of vehicles, of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops. The vessels also have
davits for four
vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.
Frederick was initially armed with four Mark 33
/50 caliber guns in two twin
turrets. The vessel was equipped with two Mk 63
gun control fire systems (GCFS) for the 3-inch guns, but these were removed in 1977–1978. The ship also had SPS-10 surface search
radar. Atop the stern gate, the vessels mounted a
helicopter deck. They had a maximum complement of 213 including 11 officers. ==Construction and career==