SAN DIEGO - The guided-missile frigate USS Thach will depart Naval Base San Diego on Tuesday for a six-month deployment to the Central American region, the Navy announced Monday.

The Thach and its crew of 220 sailors will spend the deployment patrolling for drug traffickers and other illegal activities, according to Naval Surface Forces' public affairs office.

A group of U.S. Coast Guard members trained to intercept maritime smugglers will also be aboard the Thach as part of a partnership between the two federal agencies.

"We are really excited to go down to Central America and do our part," Cmdr. Hans Lynch, the Thach's commander, said in a statement. "The crew is anxious to put all their hard training to good use."

The 453-foot-long Thach is named for late Admiral John S. Thach, a Navy aviator during World War II.

Thach was stationed in San Diego when he invented a dogfighting tactic known as the Thach Weave. The tactic involves two or more fighter pilots working together to cross paths two or more times in order to turn the tables on an enemy attack.