23rd ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Admiral Harold Rainsford Stark (1880–1972). Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards(Seattle, Washington), on 23 January 1978.
The USS Stark was struck by two Exocet anti-ship missiles on May 17, 1987. The missiles were fired by an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 aircraft, during the Iran-Iraq war. 37 sailors were killed and 21 were injured.
Decommissioned on 7 May 1999. |