# 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.

## 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 turbines 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) remained in reserve till 2015, but appears to have been scrapped since. 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. | Builder | Commission– decommission | Fate |
| 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), scrapped 2015 |
| 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 |

## 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 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.