Commissioned in 1988, the Ford is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate that served the Pacific Fleet through the final decade of the Cold War and into the post-Cold War era. Like all ships of her class, she performed the essential work of maritime patrol, convoy escort, and anti-submarine warfare that kept the seas open. She was decommissioned in 2013 and transferred to Brazil's Navy, continuing her service under another flag.