Garcia-class frigate

USS Albert David (FF-1050) underway in December 1975.
Class overview
Builders:	Various
Operators:	United States Navy Brazilian Navy Pakistan Navy
Preceded by:	Bronstein class frigate
Succeeded by:	Knox class frigate
Subclasses:	Brooke class frigate
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, 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:	AN/SPS-40 air search radar AN/SPS-10 surface search radar AN/SQS-26 bow mounted sonar
Armament:	2 × 5"/38 Mk 30 (127mm)(2 × 1) 1 8-tube ASROC Mk16 launcher (16 missiles) 6 × 12.75 in (324mm) Mk 32 (2 × 3) torpedo tubes, Mk 46 torpedoes 2 × MK 37 torpedo tubes (fixed, stern) (removed later)
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 or DEG until 1975. The ships were commissioned between 1964 to 1968 and decommissioned between 1988 and 1990.

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 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 June 30, 1975 by the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification.

After decommissioning, USS Bradley (FF-1041), USS Davidson (FF-1045), USS Sample (FF-1048), and USS Albert David (FF-1050) were transferred to the Brazilian Navy, as the Pernambuco (D 30), Paraíba (D 28), Paraná (D 29), and Pará (D 27), respectively. Pará (D 27) remains in reserve reserve as of 2015.

USS Glover (FF-1098) was a Garcia class modified for research use, commissioned as AGDE-1 in 1965, redesignated AGFF-1 in 1975, and redesignated FF-1098 in 1979.

Units

Ship Name	Hull No.	Builder	Commission– Decommission	Fate	Link
Garcia	FF-1040	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1964–1989	Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994	[1]
Bradley	FF-1041	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1965–1988	Sold to Brazil as Pernambuco (D 30)	[2]
Edward McDonnell	FF-1043	Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana	1965–1988	Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 21 August 2002	[3]
Brumby	FF-1044	Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana	1965–1989	Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 September 1994	[4]
Davidson	FF-1045	Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana	1965–1988	Sold to Brazil as Paraiba (D28)	[5]
Voge	FF-1047	Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan	1966–1989	Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 19 January 2001	[6]
Sample	FF-1048	Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle	1968–1988	Sold to Brazil as Paraná (D 29), 2001	[7]
Koelsch	FF-1049	Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan	1967–1989	Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 September 1994	[8]
Albert David	FF-1050	Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company Seattle	1968–1989	Sold to Brazil as Pará (D 27), 2001	[9]
O'Callahan	FF-1051	Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan	1968–1988	Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994	[10]
Glover	FF-1098	Bath Iron Works	1965–1990	Disposed of, sold by DRMS for scrapping, 15 April 1994	[11]

Gallery

• 

  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 1 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.

See also

• Destroyer escort DE
• Frigate FF
• List of frigates of the United States Navy
• List of frigates by country and by frigate class

External links

• Garcia-class frigates at Destroyer History Foundation
• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships from Naval Historical Center - information about person whom ship was named after plus early ship history
  • Garcia picture
  • Voge
  • Sample
  • Koelsch
  • Albert David picture
  • O'Callahan
• Frigate from Naval Vessel Register - all these ships have been decommissioned - see link for status
• The Garcia class from Destroyers OnLine - pictures, history, crews
• Destroyer Escort Sailors Association more information and history about DEs
• USS Voge former crewmember's site with pictures (archive link, was dead)