The Brooke class was a United States Navy frigate class based on the design of the Garcia class, but with the addition of the Tartar Guided Missile System. The first unit was commissioned in 1966 and the final sixth unit was decommissioned in 1989.

USS Brooke (FFG-1)
USS Brooke (FFG-1)
Class overview
NameBrooke class
BuildersLockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington, U.S. Bath Iron Works
Operators
Preceded byGarcia class
Succeeded by
Built1962–1968
In commission1966–1989
Planned19
Completed6
Retired6
General characteristics
TypeGuided missile frigate
Displacement
  • 2,640 tons std
  • 3,426 tons full
Length414 ft (126 m)
Beam44 ft (13 m)
Draft
  • 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) (keel)
  • 24 ft (7.3 m) (sonar)
Propulsion2 Foster Wheeler boilers, 1 GE (1-3) or Westinghouse (4-6) geared turbine, 35,000 shp (26 MW), Four ships were built with German designed pressure fired boilers, 1 screw
Speed27.2 knots (50.4 km/h; 31.3 mph)
Range4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi)
Complement14 officers, 214 crew
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
AN/SLQ-32
Armament
Aircraft carried1 SH-2 Seasprite

Description

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Brooke-class ships were nearly identical to the Garcia class, except the second 5-inch/38 caliber gun was replaced with a Tartar missile system and electronics. Brooke class ships also had the AN/SPS-52 3D air search radar instead of the two dimension AN/SPS-40 and added the AN/SPG-51 for target tracking and missile guidance. The Mk 22 single arm missile launcher was placed amidships. The magazine held 16 missiles.

FFG-1 through FFG-3 had a Westinghouse geared steam turbine while FFG-4 through FFG-6 employed a General Electric turbine. All ships had two Foster Wheeler boilers. FFG-4 through FFG-6 had an angled base of the bridge structure behind the ASROC launcher for automatic reloading.

The Brooke class was originally designed to carry the DASH drone, but were later equipped with LAMPS SH-2 Seasprite after the hangar was enlarged.[2]

Oliver Hazard Perry class systems were evaluated on Talbot including the Otobreda 76 mm gun, the AN/SQS-56 sonar and other systems.[2][3]

Initially authorized as guided missile destroyer escorts (DEG), FFG-1 through FFG-3 were authorized in FY1962 while FFG-4 through FFG-6 were authorized in FY1963. Plans called for ten more ships to be authorized in FY1964 and possibly three more in later years, but those plans were dropped because of the $11 million higher cost of the DEG over an FF.

Units

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Ship name Hull no. Crest Builder Commission–
decommission
Fate Link
Brooke FFG-1   Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle 1966–1988 Transferred to Pakistan in 1989; disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994 [1]
Ramsey FFG-2 1967–1988 Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 15 June 2000 [2]
Schofield FFG-3 1968–1988 Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 11/02/1999 [3]
Talbot FFG-4   Bath Iron Works 1967–1988 Transferred to Pakistan in 1989; disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994 [4]
Richard L. Page FFG-5 1967–1988 Transferred to Pakistan in 1989; disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994 [5]
Julius A. Furer FFG-6 1967–1989 Transferred to Pakistan in 1989; disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 28 March 1994 [6]
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Notes

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  1. ^ Polmar, Norman (July 1981). "The U.S. Navy: Sonars, Part 1". United States Naval Institute Proceedings: 119.
  2. ^ a b Moore, John (1991). Janes American Fighting Ships of the 20th Century. Mallard Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-7924-5626-2.
  3. ^ Pike, John. "FFG-1 Brooke". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
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