New ships for the Brazilian Navy are scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2029
Por Primeiro-Tenente (RM2-T) Luciana Santos de Almeida – Itajaí, SC
The beginning of the construction of four warships, which will be part of the Brazilian Navy’s Fleet – “Tamandaré Class” frigates – was marked by a ceremony held on June 21st, at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul, in Itajaí (SC). At the ceremony, the ship’s mockup, which is a compartment of the “Tamandaré Class” Frigate, was presented. It is a reproduction in real dimensions of the section of one of the ship’s engine rooms.
The event was attended by the Navy Commander, Fleet Admiral Almir Garnier Santos, Senator Espiridião Amin, and Federal Deputies Carlos Chiodini, Colonel Armando and Caroline de Toni, members of the Admiralty, and directors of the Águas Azuis Special Purpose Company. The ceremony was also attended by members of the Society of Friends of the Navy (SOAMAR) from Santa Catarina State.
The mock-up or Qualification Section attests to the Shipyard’s production quality regarding manufacturing, transfer of construction documents, Information Technology interfaces applied to production, welding procedures, structure dimensional control processes, and the supply and handling of materials destined for the frigates’ manufacturing.
These ships, expected to be delivered between 2025 and 2029, will have high combat power and will be able to protect the extensive Brazilian maritime area, with more than 5.7 thousand km², called the “Blue Amazon”, perform search and rescue operations and meet international commitments, for example. “They will be versatile escorts of significant combat power, capable of countering multiple threats and destined to the protection of maritime traffic, being able to carry out defense missions, close to or far away from the Brazilian coast,” said the Director General of Navy Material, Admiral José Augusto Vieira da Cunha de Menezes, one of the members of the Admiralty.
The frigates will be employed in the protection of the component units of the Main Naval Forces Corps, and also in remote areas, as part of Surface Action Groups or as Search and Attack Units for submarines. The ships will be employed in the patrol of Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters, with emphasis on the inspection and protection of economic activities, especially oil and fishing. “The Tamandaré Class Frigates Program is particularly important in the national scenario because of its relevance to job generation and the development of the Defense Industrial Base in the country,” said Admiral Cunha.
Two thousand direct jobs and 6 thousand indirect jobs should be generated at the peak of the ships’ production. About this, the Navy Commander reinforced, during the ceremony, that “the defense industry, for being high-tech, brings not only jobs, but quality jobs, pays more taxes, more qualified personnel and this is very good not only for the Navy but for all of Brazil.
Production will be carried out with at least 30% local content for the first ship, and 40% from the second, which provides a gradual transfer of technology in naval engineering for the manufacture of military ships and combat and platform management systems on Brazilian soil. The frigates will be based on the German MEKO design, already used in 82 vessels in operation in the navies of 15 countries.
According to the CEO of the Special Purpose Company Águas Azuis, Fernando Queiroz, technology transfer and production of the ships with local content are important pillars of this construction. “We are enabling this shipyard to work with the requirements of a defense ship, and also with the transfer of knowledge for software management, combat control system, and platform control system, giving Brazil independence to generate its software updates,” he said.
Tamandaré Class Frigate Ship Program
The Brazilian Navy has been conducting the “Tamandaré Class” Frigates Program since 2017, with the goal of promoting the renewal of the Fleet with four modern ships of high technological complexity, built in the country. The Program is a fundamental element and an indispensable means both for the control of maritime areas of interest, preventing the access of undesirable means by sea, and also for the Country to act under the aegis of international organizations and in support of foreign policy, in a manner compatible with Brazil’s insertion in the international arena.
“With the construction of these ships in a national shipyard, with high rates of local content and technology transfer, there will be an increase in job generation and strengthening of the country’s Defense Industrial Base,” added the Director General of Navy Material.
History
On March 27, 2019, the Specific Purpose Company (SPE) “Águas Azuis” was announced as the best offer for the Program. “Blue Waters” is formed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Atech and Embraer Defense and Security. On March 5, 2020, the Naval Projects Management Company (EMGEPRON) and the SPE “Águas Azuis” signed the contracts for the construction of the “Tamandaré” Class, in a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Defense.
At that moment, the main contract for the acquisition, by construction in the country, of four frigates, and the associated contract, which deals with the Compensation Agreement, were signed. The latter has as objects the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology regarding the Combat Management System and the Integrated Platform Management System, as well as courses of operation and maintenance of the future frigates.
*** Audio in Portuguese ***
*** Translated by DEFCONPress team***