RFA Sir Galahad (1987)

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Career

Ordered:	6 September 1984
Laid down:	12 May 1985
Launched:	13 December 1986
Commissioned:	25 November 1987
Decommissioned:	2006
Fate:	Sold to Brazil
Struck:
General characteristics
Displacement:	8,751 tonnes
Length:	141 m
Beam:	19.5 m
Draught:	4.5 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
Range:
Complement:	49
Armament:	Two Oerlikon 20 mm guns; two 7.62 mm machineguns
Aircraft:	One pad aft for Westland Sea King or smaller; one pad amidships for CH-47 Chinook or smaller
Motto:

See also: RFA Sir Galahad (1966)

RFA Sir Galahad (L3005) is a landing ship logistical (LSL) of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service. She is a combined landing craft and ferry with two flight decks for helicopters and bow and stern doors. There is capacity for around 400 troops and 3,440 tonnes of supplies.

She 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.

The ship has seen service in two wars since it was built, both of them against Iraq. It was deployed in 1991 for Operation Granby and in 2003 for Operation Telic. Its role in both conflicts was transport of supplies. In Gulf War II, Sir Galahad transported humanitarian aid, docking in Umm Qasr on 28 March 2003 after being delayed while naval mines were cleared from the harbour.

On April 26, 2007, it was announced that she was to be purchased by Brazil^[1]. On Thursday July 20 she made her last journey under the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's flag, as she sailed from Marchwood to Portsmouth to be decommissioned. ^[2]

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

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Landing Ship Logistic RFA Sir Galahad arrives in the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr on 28 March 2003, delivering the first shipment of humanitarian aid from "Coalition" forces.