Tamandaré-class frigate
 The lead ship Tamandaré fitting out at ThyssenKrupp shipyard in Brazil, August 2024
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tamandaré class |
| Builders | ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Itajaí |
| Operators |  Brazilian Navy |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Future Brazilian Destroyer concept |
| Cost | €500 million per ship |
| Built | 2022-present |
| In commission | 2025+ |
| Planned | 8[1] |
| On order | 4 |
| Building | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Frigate |
| Displacement | 3,500 t (3,400 long tons; 3,900 short tons) |
| Length | 107.2 m (351 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 16 m (52 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) arrangement |
| Speed | Maximum: 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph) |
| Range | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × RHIB |
| Complement | 26 officers and 110 enlisted crew |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × S-70B Seahawk or Airbus H225M or Super Lynx Mk.21B, 1 × ScanEagle UAV |
| Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for one medium-lift helicopter |
| Notes | Sources:[2][3][4][5][6] |
The Tamandaré class is a class of stealth frigates operated by the Brazilian Navy, based on the MEKO family of warships. The project was developed by the Águas Azuis consortium, composed of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Embraer Defense & Security.[7]
Development
[edit]The program was created in 2017 with the main purpose of replacing the Niterói-class frigates in operation since 1975 and the Type 22s acquired second-hand from the United Kingdom in the 1990s.[8]
Several companies from seventeen countries entered in the competition opened by the MoD, offering different types of projects and offset packages. On 16 May 2017, the list of all participating companies was released.[9]
On 15 October 2018, after more than a year of studies by the Directorate of Program Management of the Navy (DGePM) and the Naval Projects Management Company (EMGEPRON), the short-list of the finalist projects was released, the selected projects were:[10]
| Consortium | Builder | Parent Design | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Águas Azuis | ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems | MEKO A-100 |
|
Damen-Saab Tamandaré | Damen Group | Sigma 10514 |
|
Villegagnon | Naval Group | Gowind 2500 |
|
FLV | Fincantieri | MB indigenous project |
On 28 March 2019, the winning project was presented, the Águas Azuis consortium led by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with a project of the 3,500-ton MEKO A-100-class variant. The contract of €2 billion for the first batch of four units, was signed between the Brazilian government and the winning consortium on 6 March 2020.[11]
In January 2021, ThyssenKrupp confirmed the acquisition of the Oceana shipyard in Itajaí, Brazil, becoming the company's first shipyard in Latin America, with the objective of building the new Brazilian frigates, and future sales to other navies in the region.[12]
The construction of the lead ship, Tamandaré (F200) started on 5 September 2022, with the second boat, Jerônimo de Albuquerque (F201), on 1 November 2023. Tamandaré, was launched on 9 August 2024.[13]
On 9 August 2024, the Brazilian Navy announced plans to build a second batch of four more units, confirming the National Maritime Strategy published by the MoD in 2023.[13][14]
Design
[edit]The class was based on the MEKO family of warships, a concept of modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. Designed as multi-mission vessels, the class is able to fulfill the anti-aircraft warfare role with surface-to-air missiles, anti-surface warfare with the Brazilian MANSUP missiles, and anti-submarine warfare.
Tamandaré is equipped with the Hensoldt TRS-4D active electronically scanned array radar, able to track 1500 targets at a range of up to 250 km. The combat management system (CMS) and the integrated platform management system (IPMS), designed by Atech, a subsidiary of Embraer, are a version derived from the Atlas ANCS and L3 Mapps, exclusively designed to meet the Brazilian requirements.[15]
The boats are the first globally to be equipped with the Sea Snake, a new close-in weapon system of the German defense company Rheinmetall, armed with the KCE30 30 mm revolver cannon, with ABM (air burst ammunition) capability. The MAGE Defensor suite responsible for the electronic warfare support measures (ESM), electronic countermeasure (ECM) and the electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) systems of the class, was developed by the Brazilian company Omnisys.[16][17]
Ships of the class
[edit]The ships are named after key people in the history of the Imperial Brazilian Navy.[18] Italics indicate estimated date.
| Pennant Number | Name | Namesake | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F200 | Tamandaré | Joaquim Marques Lisboa | 24 March 2023[19] | 9 August 2024[20] | December 2025[21] | Fitting out |
| F201 | Jerônimo de Albuquerque | Jerônimo de Albuquerque [pt] | 6 June 2024[22] | August 2025[13] | 2026[20] | Under construction; first steel cut 1 November 2023[23] |
| F202 | Cunha Moreira | Luís da Cunha Moreira [pt] | July 2026[13] | 2027[20] | Awarded[24] | |
| F203 | Mariz e Barros | Antônio Carlos de Mariz e Barros | November 2027[13] | 2028[20] | Awarded[24] | |
| F204 | ? | Announced[13] | ||||
| F205 | ? | Announced[13] | ||||
| F206 | ? | Announced[13] | ||||
| F207 | ? | Announced[13] |
See also
[edit]- Formidable-class frigate (Singapore)
- Constellation-class frigate (United States)
- Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate (Russia)
- Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate (Norway)
- Defence and intervention frigate (France)
- Riachuelo-class submarines
- Future of the Brazilian Armed Forces
References
[edit]- ^ @marmilbr (9 August 2024). "Infographic Tamandaré class" (Tweet) (in Portuguese) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Brasil inicia construcción de fragatas clase Tamandaré". Pucara (in Spanish). 9 September 2022.
- ^ "Navio de guerra da Marinha construído em SC faz parte de projeto bilionário de defesa nacional". G1 (in Portuguese). 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Fragatas Classe Tamandaré estão em fase avançada de configuração". Defesa Aerea e Naval (in Portuguese). 10 June 2021.
- ^ "Brasil activa la unidad que desplegará los RPAS ScanEagle desde las fragatas Tamandaré". Infodefensa (in Spanish). 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Brasil coloca la quilla de la fragata Jerônimo de Albuquerque F-201, la segunda de la clase Tamandaré". Infodefensa (in Spanish). 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Batimento de quilha da Fragata 'Tamandaré' será em março de 2023". Defesa Aérea e Naval (in Portuguese). 11 September 2022.
- ^ "Projetos estratégicos da Marinha". Marinha do Brasil (in Portuguese).
- ^ "Classe Tamandaré - Marinha do Brasil encerra a primeira etapa do projeto de obtenção". Defesa Net (in Portuguese). 16 May 2017.
- ^ "Marinha do Brasil divulga short-list do Projeto classe Tamandaré". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 15 October 2018.
- ^ "Marinha compra quatro fragatas por R$ 9,1 bilhões". UOL (in Portuguese). 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Estaleiro responsável por construir as fragatas Classe Tamandaré agora é thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul". Defesa Aérea & Naval (in Portuguese). 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "La Armada de Brasil presenta la primera Fragata Tamarandé". Pucará Defensa (in Spanish). 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024.
- ^ "Brazil's National Maritime Strategy" (PDF). Poder Naval (in Portuguese). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2024.
- ^ "TRS-4D Rotator Multi-function surveillance and target acquisition radar". Hensoldt. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Sea Snake 30 brochure" (PDF). Rheinmetall. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2024.
- ^ "MAGE Defensor brochure" (PDF). Omnisys (in Portuguese). Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Segundo o site Alide, navios da classe Tamandaré já têm nome". Poder Naval (in Portuguese).
- ^ "Press release" (PDF). mar.mil.br (in Portuguese). 24 March 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Fragata Tamandaré é lançada ao mar em cerimônia com presença de Lula". Agência Brasil (in Portuguese). 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Fragata Tamandaré é transferida para dique flutuante". Defesa Aérea e Naval (in Portuguese). 13 August 2024.
- ^ Storto, Margarete (6 June 2024). "Batimento de Quilha do segundo navio marca avanço no Programa Fragatas Classe Tamandaré". thyssenkrupp (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
- ^ Storto, Margarete (1 November 2023). "Programa Fragatas Classe Tamandaré: primeiro corte de aço marca início da construção da segunda fragata". thyssenkrupp (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Marinha compra quatro fragatas por R$ 9,1 bilhões". UOL (in Portuguese). 4 March 2020.