RFA Sir Galahad (1987)

RFA Sir Galahad arriving in Brazil.
History
United Kingdom
Name:	RFA Sir Galahad
Ordered:	6 September 1984
Builder:	Swan Hunter
Laid down:	12 May 1985
Launched:	13 December 1986
Commissioned:	25 November 1987
Decommissioned:	2006
Out of service:	2007
Fate:	Sold to Brazil
Brazil
Name:	Garcia D'Avila
Launched:	1987
Commissioned:	4 December 2007
General characteristics
Class and type:	Landing ship logistics (LSL)
Displacement:	8,751 tonnes
Length:	460 ft (140 m)
Beam:	64 ft (20 m)
Draught:	15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion:	Two 6600 hp (4,900 kW) Mirrlees Blackstone K9 Major Mk. II diesels; one 400 hp (300 kW) bow thruster
Speed:	14 knots (26 km/h) (cruising) 17 knots (31 km/h) (max)
Capacity:	400 troops 3,440 tonnes of supplies
Complement:	49
Armament:	Two Oerlikon 20 mm guns; two 7.62 mm machineguns
Aircraft carried:	One pad aft for Westland Sea King or smaller One pad amidships for CH-47 Chinook or smaller

RFA Sir Galahad (L3005) was a landing ship logistics (LSL) of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, currently in service with the Brazilian Navy as the Garcia D'Avila.

History

RFA Sir Galahad was built by Swan Hunter and entered service in 1988. She was named and given the identical pennant number to the Sir Galahad sunk in the Falklands War. Built as a combined landing craft and ferry with two flight decks for helicopters and bow and stern doors, there was capacity for around 400 troops and 3,440 tonnes of supplies.

She was deployed in 1991 for Operation Granby, 1995 in Angola Operation Chantress and in 2003 for Operation Telic to transport supplies. In 2003 Sir Galahad transported humanitarian aid, docking in Umm Qasr Port on 28 March, 2003, after being delayed while naval mines were cleared.

On 26 April, 2007, it was announced that she was to be purchased by Brazil.^[1] On 20 July, 2006, the ship sailed from Marchwood to Portsmouth, to be decommissioned.^[2]

She was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy as Garcia D'Avila on 4 December, 2007.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  RFA Sir Galahad arrives in the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr on 28 March 2003
• 
  RFA Sir Galahad in Umm Qasr, delivering the first shipment of humanitarian aid from Coalition forces.
• 
  RFA Sir Galahad in 2003.
• 
  Ex RFA Sir Galahad (G-29) in 2007.
• 
  Ex RFA Sir Galahad (G-29) arriving in Brazil 2008.

References

1. "Decommissioned Ships". SeaWaves Magazine. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
2. "The end of an era for naval legend". BBC News. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
3. "Brazilian Navy Takes Delivery of Garcia D'Avila Landing Ship". Deagel. Retrieved 25 May 2009.