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Keel laying of the first Tamandaré-class frigate

Hans Uwe Mergener

March 27, 2023

With the keel-laying of the first Tamandaré-class frigate on March 24, the Brazilian Navy and Águas Azuis, a joint venture between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS), Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, reached a significant milestone. This ceremony took place at the thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. In addition to the Commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, numerous high-ranking representatives from the defense sector and the maritime industry were present. tkMS boss Oliver Burkhard came from Germany.

When the keel was laid, the construction block of the forward engine room was positioned at its future site. The steel structure weighs around 52 tons and will accommodate two drive motors, a gearbox and several pumps and auxiliary units. According to the tkMS press release, building in blocks that are assembled later has advantages over previous approaches. Internals and foundations can be installed in advance, facilitating equipment placement on board. Each department can work independently in the various production phases. In addition, the design is largely paperless. According to Thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul, it works exclusively with digital drawings when manufacturing the Tamandaré units.

The next steps are the production of the rear engine room block. This is followed by the completion of the hull with the blocks already made. According to the announcements, construction progress is currently 34 percent. About a quarter of the more than fifty blocks are being assembled. The qualification of the personnel who will be responsible for the maintenance of the ship's systems is about 50 percent complete. Firing of the hull plate for the second frigate is scheduled to begin later this year.

Die neuen Fregatten basieren auf dem Konzept MEKO A100 von tkMS. Der auf Modulen basierende Entwurf vereinfacht die lokale Integration von Systemen und den Technologietransfer, und trägt zur Senkung der Anschaffungs-, Wartungs- und Modernisierungskosten bei. Die MEKO Klasse vereint moderne Technologie und robuste Kampffähigkeit. Die Fregatten mit eine Länge von 107,2 m und einer Breite von 15,95 m verdrängen 3.455 Tonnen bei einem Tiefgang von 5,2 m und werden von vier MAN 12V 28/33D STC Dieselmotoren mit je sechs MW Leistung angetrieben. Die Marschgeschwindigkeit ist mit 14 Knoten (26 km/h) angegeben. Die Versorgung mit elektrische Energie erfolgt über vier Dieselgeneratoren Caterpillar C32 mit je einem Megawatt elektrischer Leistung.

Sensor equipment includes BAE Systems' Artisan 3D radar, Raytheon surface (S-band) and navigation (x-band) radars, Thales STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 fire control radar, Paseo XLR electro-optical sighting and fire control system from Safran and the fuselage sonar ASO 713 from ATLAS Elektronik.

The armament is a mix of cannons and missiles. The artillery is Leonardo 76/62 mm and Bofors 40 Mk 4 naval guns and MBDA Systems Exocet MM40 B1/B3 and Sea Ceptor (CAMM) missiles. The frigates are equipped with SEA's TLS-TT torpedo launcher and FN Herstal's Sea DeFnder remote-controlled weapon station with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun for close-range defence, as well as Terma's C-Guard decoy system.

The Tamandaré-class frigate program, designed for four units, is a demanding shipbuilding project with which Brazil not only promises to fulfill its defense policy goals. The program aims to facilitate technology transfer and stimulate local industry. About 2,000 direct and 6,000 indirect jobs are related to Tamandaré. Construction began on September 5, 2022 with the first steel cutting of the hull plate of the first frigate. The first unit is scheduled to be launched in mid-2024 and handed over to the Brazilian Navy in late 2025.

hum / ck

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