Garcia-class frigate

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.

USS Albert David underway in December 1975.
Class overview
Name: Garcia class
Builders: Various
Operators:
Preceded by: Bronstein class
Succeeded by: Knox class
Subclasses: Brooke class
Built: 1962–1968
In commission: 1964–1990 (USN)
Completed: 10 + Glover
Laid up: 1 (as Para D27 in Brazilian service)
Retired: 9 + Glover
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement: 2,624 tons (light)
Length: 414 ft 6 in (126.34 m)
Beam: 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m)
Draft: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion: 2 Foster-Wheeler boilers, 1 steam turbine, 35,000 shp (26,000 kW), single screw
Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range: 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement:
  • 16 officers
  • 231 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
Armament:
Aircraft carried: Gyrodyne QH-50 (planned) / SH-2 LAMPS

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 followed by the similar Brooke class, which was given guided missile armament.

The Bronstein ocean escort was a response to the development of high speed nuclear submarines in the late 1950s. They were powered by steam engines instead of diesel engines and incorporated a first class anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon system: the SQS-26BX sonar, MK 112 ASROC rocket launcher, and MK 32 torpedo tubes. Gun (naval artillery) armament (MK 33 3 inch/50 caliber) was changed in the Garcia class to two MK 30 5 inch/38 caliber guns.

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) remains in reserve as of 2015.

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
Name Hull no. Crest Builder Commission–
decommission		 Fate Link
Garcia FF-1040 Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco 1964–1989 Sold for scrapping, 29 March 1994
Bradley FF-1041 Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco 1965–1988 Sold to Brazil as Pernambuco (D 30), decommissioned 2004, scrapped 2013
Edward McDonnell FF-1043 Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana 1965–1988 Sold for scrapping, 21 August 2002
Brumby FF-1044 Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana 1965–1989 Sold for scrapping, 9 September 1994
Davidson FF-1045 Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana 1965–1988 Sold to Brazil as Paraiba (D28), decommsissoned 2002, sank under tow 2005
Voge FF-1047 Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan 1966–1989 Sold for scrapping, 19 January 2001
Sample FF-1048 Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle 1968–1988 1989 to Brazil as Paraná (D 29), sold for scrapping in 2004
Koelsch FF-1049 Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan 1967–1989 Sold for scrapping, 9 September 1994
Albert David FF-1050 Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Seattle 1968–1989 1989 to Brazil as Pará (D 27)
O'Callahan FF-1051 Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan 1968–1988 Sold for scrapping, 29 March 1994
Glover FF-1098 Bath Iron Works 1965–1990 Sold for scrapping, 15 April 1994
  • Davidson with vertical bridge structure
  • Koelsch with angled lower bridge structure for automatic ASROC loading. All units Voge and later were similarly equipped
  • Sample with two gun mounts
  • Glover with only one gun mount
  • Bradley with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow BPDMS installed. Installed and removed c.1967-1968.
  • Stern view of Bradley, note torpedo tubes installed in the transom, later removed.
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See also

Notes
  1. Polmar, Norman "The U.S. Navy: Sonars, Part 1" United States Naval Institute Proceedings July 1981 p.119
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