RFA Sir Galahad (L3005) was a landing ship logistics (LSL) of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, built to replace the earlier vessel of the same name lost during the Falklands War. Ordered on 6 September 1984, she was designed by Swan Hunter and constructed at their Wallsend shipyard. The keel was laid on 12 July 1985, and she was launched on 13 December 1986, completing construction by 19 July 1987, and entering service on 7 December of that year. The vessel measured 140.16 meters (459 ft 10 in) in length overall, with a beam of 19.50 meters (64 ft) and a draught of 4.50 meters (14 ft 9 in) at full load. Displacement was approximately 7,400 long tons (7,500 tonnes) light and 8,541 long tons (8,678 tonnes) fully loaded. Powered by two Mirrlees Blackstone K9 Major diesel engines rated at 13,320 bhp, she drove twin propellers, achieving a maximum speed of 18 knots and a range of 13,000 nautical miles. Constructed as a versatile landing craft and ferry, Sir Galahad featured two flight decks for helicopters, alongside bow and stern doors for rapid loading and unloading. Her capacity included around 400 troops and 3,440 tonnes of supplies, making her a vital logistical asset. Throughout her operational life, she participated in notable deployments such as Operation Granby (1991), Angola Operation Chantress (1995), and Operation Telic (2003). In 2003, she played a humanitarian role, transporting aid to Umm Qasr Port amid the Iraq conflict. She was decommissioned from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in July 2006 and transferred to the Brazilian Navy, entering service as the Navio de Desembarque de Carros de Combate "Garcia D'Avila" in December 2007. In Brazilian service, she supported UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti. The ship was announced for decommissioning in 2019, and as of 2024, she was designated for use in a SINKEX exercise, serving as a target for missile and torpedo tests, marking the end of her maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.