Garcia-class (FF-1040)

The Garcia class was a series of United States Navy warships developed as a larger version of the Bronstein class. The design addressed speed and gun power deficiencies identified in the Bronstein class during the development of nuclear submarines in the late 1950s. Eleven vessels, including the research-modified Glover, were constructed between 1962 and 1968.

The class was designed for Protection of Shipping missions, serving as anti-submarine warfare combatants for convoys, replenishment groups, and expeditionary forces. These were the first US Navy ships of their type to utilize pressure-fired boilers, which increased power output without increasing the machinery's size or weight. The ships featured a bow-mounted sonar and anti-submarine weapon systems, including a rocket launcher, torpedo tubes, and facilities for armed drones or helicopters. Later units in the class incorporated an angled lower bridge structure to facilitate automatic loading for the rocket launcher. One variant, the Brooke class, replaced the aft gun mount with a missile launcher. The Glover was specifically modified for research purposes.

The Garcia class entered service between 1964 and 1968. Initially classified as ocean escorts with the hull designation DE, the vessels were reclassified as frigates (FF) on June 30, 1975, during the United States Navy ship reclassification. The US Navy decommissioned the class between 1988 and 1990. Following retirement from US service, the class saw operation by the Brazilian Navy and the Pakistan Navy. Four vessels—the Bradley, Davidson, Sample, and Albert David—were transferred to Brazil, where they were renamed the Pernambuco, Paraíba, Paraná, and Pará. The Pará remained in reserve until 2015. Most vessels in the class were sold for scrapping between 1994 and 2015, while the Paraíba sank under tow in 2005.