Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization ( FRAM ) program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II - era destroyer s by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter . The FRAM program also covered cruiser s , aircraft carrier s , U . S . Coast Guard 378 ' Hamilton - class cutters , submarine s , amphibious ships , and auxiliaries . Background . The program was started by Admiral Arleigh Burke as a response to estimates that the Soviet s would have a force of about 300 modern fast - attack submarines by 1957 . The US Navy was unable to produce enough destroyer escort s ( frigates after 1975 ) and other ASW - capable ships to counter this threat , given other priorities such as new AAW - capable frigate s ( cruiser s after 1975 ) and aircraft carrier s , so Burke instead looked for ways to modify the existing WW2 - era destroyer fleet , which was rapidly becoming outdated anyway . Burke oversaw preparation of a report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees entitled " The Aging Fleet . " The idea that became FRAM was only one of six recommendations of a special committee to address the poor material conditions of ships built during World War II . Those recommendations were , in order of preference : 1 ) build new ships , 2 ) give more time to maintenance , 3 ) accomplish more extensive overhauls , 4 ) provide more money for maintenance , 5 ) institute better training for maintenance personnel , or 6 ) create a large - scale modernization and rehabilitation program to fill the gap until new ships can be built . United States Secretary of the Navy Thomas S . Gates embraced the last recommendation in a meeting with United States Secretary of Defense Neil Hosler McElroy on 11 November 1958 . A comparable programme for the Royal Navy had provided modifications to 33 British War Emergency Programme destroyers , which were converted during 1949 - 56 into 23 Type 15 first - rate anti - submarine frigates and 10 Type 16 limited conversions , pending the construction of new - build Type 12 and Type 14 frigate s . FRAM Destroyers . Among the destroyers , " Gearing " and " Sumner " classes would take precedence over the " Fletcher " and " Benson " classes . Destroyer conversions relied on experience with " Fletcher " class destroyers modernized for transfer to Spain and Germany in 1957 . The first two destroyers began FRAM in Boston , Massachusetts and Long Beach , California shipyards in March 1959 . In Navy slang , the modified destroyers were called " FRAM cans " , " can " being a contraction of " tin can " , the slang term for a destroyer or destroyer escort . In order to provide the ships with a credible anti - submarine weapon , the FRAM upgrade centered on the addition of AN / SQS - 23 SONAR and two new weapon systems , the ASROC rocket - assisted torpedo launcher with a range of 1 – 5 miles , and the DASH antisubmarine helicopter with a range of up to . Both were armed with the new Mark 44 torpedo , which was also carried in torpedo tubes on the ships . ASROC could also launch a nuclear depth charge . There were three different sets of FRAM upgrades . During refitting in the early 1950s , FRAM I destroyers gave up No . 2 , 3 and 4 5 " / 38 caliber gun mounts . A trainable Mark 15 Hedgehog mount took the place of No . 2 gun , connected to a new , enlarged sonar suite . All topside 21 " torpedo tubes were removed and replaced with two tubes mounted in the after deckhouse . One twin 3 " / 50 caliber gun mount was placed aft , atop the after deckhouse . FRAM II changes saw the replacement of the Hedgehog mount with a Mark 108 Weapon Alpha ASW rocket launcher , the addition of two new triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes for the 12 . 75 - inch Mk . 44 torpedo and the removal of the 3 - in guns for DASH hangar and flight deck . The only " Fletcher " class destroyers to receive the FRAM II upgrade were , and . Ships from the were completely torn down and rebuilt from the hull up , including new engines , a much larger combat information center , and new sonar and radar systems . The torpedo tubes between the funnels were removed , and the 8 - round ASROC launcher placed there instead . All 3 - inch / 50 cal gun mounts were removed , and the after superstructure was used for the DASH ' s hangar and flight deck , with two new triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes for the 12 . 75 - inch Mk . 44 torpedo placed just behind the rear funnel . This modernization was designed to extend the life of the destroyer by at least eight years . FRAM II . Ships in the " Sumner " class received only armament modifications under FRAM II , and not all ships of the class received the FRAM upgrades . Although the rear deck was also converted as a flight deck , the new 12 . 75 " triple torpedo tubes were placed where the older 21 " ones had been , and ASROC was not installed . Typically , all three 5 " / 38 twin mounts were retained . The converted " Sumner " s were designed for another five years of service . All classes came in for FRAM II refits starting about 1959 , being rotated out of service in order to keep as many ships at sea as possible . The upgrades were complete by 1965 , and most of the ships involved continued to serve actively until the late 1960s . FRAM Destroyer Summary . A total of 44 Gearings and 33 Sumners received FRAM modifications 1960 - 65 . Many of the ships provided significant gunfire support in the Vietnam War . DASH was withdrawn from ASW service in 1969 due to poor reliability . Lacking ASROC , the Sumners were left without a standoff ASW capability , and were decommissioned 1970 - 73 , with most being transferred to foreign navies . The Gearings lasted somewhat longer in US service , with most decommissioned and transferred to foreign navies 1973 - 80 . The FRAM destroyers were replaced as ASW ships by the Knox - class frigate s ( destroyer escorts prior to 1975 ) , which were commissioned 1969 - 74 , and the Spruance - class destroyer s , which were commissioned 1975 - 83 . Both of the replacement classes had the same ASW armament as a Gearing FRAM destroyer , with the addition of improved sonar and a piloted helicopter , typically the Kaman SH - 2 Seasprite . Some ships of both the Sumners ( from 1965 ) and the Gearings ( from 1973 ) served in the Naval Reserve Force ( NRF ) , remaining in commission with a partial active crew to provide training for Naval reservists . The last World War II surface combatant in US naval service was the USS William C . Lawe ( DD - 763 ) , a Gearing FRAM I , decommissioned and stricken 1 October 1983 and expended as a target 14 July 1999 .