Brooke-class (FFG-1)

The Brooke class was a series of guided missile frigates constructed for the United States Navy between 1962 and 1968. Developed as a derivative of the Garcia class, the design integrated the Tartar Guided Missile System. While 19 units were planned, only six were completed after the higher cost of the guided missile variant led to the cancellation of further hulls. These ships were initially classified as guided missile destroyer escorts (DEG) until the 1975 ship reclassification, when they were designated as guided missile frigates (FFG).

The Brooke-class design replaced the second 5-inch gun found on the Garcia class with a Mk 22 single-arm launcher and the Mk 74 Guided Missile Fire Control System. Air search was conducted via the AN/SPS-52 three-dimensional radar. Propulsion consisted of two Foster Wheeler boilers and a single geared turbine; hulls FFG-1 through FFG-3 used Westinghouse turbines, while FFG-4 through FFG-6 used General Electric units. The latter three ships also featured an angled bridge structure to facilitate an automatic reloading system for the ASROC launcher, which replaced the manual loading crane used on earlier vessels. Originally equipped to operate DASH drones, the ships were later modified with enlarged hangars to accommodate the SH-2 Seasprite. The USS Talbot was utilized to evaluate equipment for the succeeding Oliver Hazard Perry class, including the Mk 75 gun and AN/SQS-56 sonar.

The six ships of the class were commissioned between 1966 and 1968. Following approximately two decades of service, the vessels were decommissioned from the United States Navy between 1988 and 1989. In 1989, the Brooke, Talbot, Richard L. Page, and Julius A. Furer were transferred to the Pakistan Navy. These four ships were returned to the United States in 1994 and disposed of via title transfer to the Maritime Administration. The Ramsey and Schofield were retained by the United States Navy until they were sunk as targets during fleet training exercises in 1999 and 2000.