Garcia-class frigate

Last updated
USS ALBERT DAVID (FF-1050) port bow view.jpg
USS Albert David underway in December 1975.
Class overview
NameGarcia class
BuildersVarious
Operators
Preceded by
Succeeded by Knox class
Subclasses Brooke class
Built1962–1968
In commission1964–1990 (USN)
Completed10 + Glover
Retired10 + Glover
General characteristics
Type Frigate
Displacement2,624 tons (light)
Length414 ft 6 in (126.34 m)
Beam44 ft 1 in (13.44 m)
Draft24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion2 Foster-Wheeler boilers, 1 steam turbine, 35,000 shp (26,000 kW), single screw
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement
  • 16 officers
  • 231 enlisted
Sensors &
processing systems
Armament
Aircraft carried Gyrodyne QH-50 (planned) / SH-2 LAMPS

Garcia-class frigates were United States Navy warships. These frigates were originally ocean escorts bearing the hull classification DE until 1975. The ships were commissioned between 1964 and 1968 and decommissioned between 1988 and 1990.

Contents

Description

Frigates fulfill a Protection of Shipping (POS) mission as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants for amphibious expeditionary forces, underway replenishment groups and merchant convoys.

The Garcia class was a larger version of the Bronstein class. The Garcias were accompanied by the similar Brooke class, which replaced the aft gun with a Mark 22 missile launcher.

The Bronstein ocean escort was a response to the development of high speed nuclear submarines in the late 1950s, but their speed was insufficient to keep pace with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) groups and their gun (naval artillery) power was poor for general patrol tasks. The Garcia class rectified these issues by becoming the first ships of their type in the US Navy to use pressure fired boilers, which allowed them to generate much more power than the Bronsteins without an increase in size or weight of machinery. [2] The gun armament was increased in the Garcia class to two Mk.30 5 inch/38 caliber guns. The ASW weapon system consisted of the SQS-26BX sonar, Mk.112 ASROC rocket launcher, QH-50 DASH armed drones, and Mk.32 torpedo tubes and was further reinforced with the addition of a pair of Mk.25 torpedo tubes for firing the much longer ranged Mark 37 torpedo.

There were two distinct breeds of ships bearing the DE hull classification, the World War II destroyer escorts (some of which were converted to DERs) and the postwar DE/DEG classes, which were known as ocean escorts despite carrying the same type symbol as the World War II destroyer escorts. All DEs, DEGs, and DERs were reclassified as FFs, FFGs, or FFRs on 30 June 1975 by the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification.

After decommissioning, Bradley, Davidson, Sample, and Albert David were transferred to the Brazilian Navy, as Pernambuco (D 30), Paraíba (D 28), Paraná (D 29), and Pará (D 27), respectively. Pará (D 27) remained in reserve till 2015, but appears to have been scrapped since. [3] Glover was a Garcia-class frigate modified for research use, commissioned as AGDE-1 in 1965, redesignated AGFF-1 in 1975, and redesignated FF-1098 in 1979.

Ships

NameHull no.CrestBuilderCommission–
decommission		FateLink
Garcia FF-1040 USS Garcia (DE-1040) insignia 1964.png Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco1964–1989Sold for scrapping, 29 March 1994
Bradley FF-1041Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco1965–1988Sold to Brazil as Pernambuco (D 30), decommissioned 2004, scrapped 2013
Edward McDonnell FF-1043 Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana1965–1988Sold for scrapping, 21 August 2002
Brumby FF-1044 USS Brumby (DE-1044) insignia, in 1965 (NH 64833-KN).png Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana1965–1989Sold for scrapping, 9 September 1994
Davidson FF-1045Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana1965–1988Sold to Brazil as Paraiba (D28), decommissioned 2002, sank under tow 2005
Voge FF-1047 USS Voge (DE-1047) insignia, in 1966 (NH 65418-KN).png Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan1966–1989Sold for scrapping, 19 January 2001
Sample FF-1048 USS Sample (DE-1048) insignia, in 1967 (NH 68122-KN).png Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle1968–19881989 to Brazil as Paraná (D 29), sold for scrapping in 2004
Koelsch FF-1049Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan1967–1989Sold for scrapping, 9 September 1994
Albert David FF-1050 USS Albert David (DE-1050) insignia, circa in 1971 (NH 78942-KN).png Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Seattle1968–19891989 to Brazil as Pará (D 27), scrapped 2015
O'Callahan FF-1051Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan1968–1988Sold for scrapping, 29 March 1994
Glover FF-1098 USS Glover (FF-1098) Crest.png Bath Iron Works 1965–1990Sold for scrapping, 15 April 1994

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Polmar, Norman "The U.S. Navy: Sonars, Part 1" United States Naval Institute Proceedings July 1981 p.119
  2. ↑ Linder, Bruce (April 1989). "The Garcias and Brookes: One Last Look". U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  3. ↑ "Brazilian Navy – Frigates". 13 May 2020. Retrieved 4 Sep 2023.
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