Brazilian frigate Independência

Independência
History
Brazil
Name	Independência
Namesake	Independência
Builder	Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro
Launched	2 September 1974
Christened	11 June 1972
Commissioned	3 September 1979
Homeport	Rio de Janeiro
Identification	MMSI number: 710466000 Callsign: PWIN Pennant number: F-44
Motto	A Independência de todos depende de cada um de nós English: "Everyone's Independence depends on each one of us"[1]
Nickname(s)	Léo Pirata
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Niterói-class frigate
Displacement	3.355 t (3.302 long tons)
Length	129.2 m (423 ft 11 in)
Beam	13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Draught	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	CODOG, two shafts 2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM-3B gas turbines 42,000 kW (56,000 hp) combined 4 × MTU 16V 956 TB91 diesel engines 13,000 kW (17,000 hp) combined
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (maximum) 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (diesels only)
Range	5,300 nmi (9,800 km; 6,100 mi)
Endurance	45 days
Complement	217
Sensors and processing systems	Modernized: Alenia RAN-20S air search radar Terma Scanter surface search radar Orion RTN-30X fire control radar Saab EOS-400 optronic director Krupp Atlas EDO-610E hull mounted sonar SICONTA Mk 2 C3I system
Electronic warfare & decoys	Modernized: Cutlass B1W ESM ET/SQL-1 ECM 12 × 102 mm decoy launchers
Armament	Modernized: 1 × Albatros launcher for 8 Aspide surface-to-air missiles 1 × 114 mm Mark 8 gun 2 × Bofors 40 mm guns 2 × twin launchers for Exocet anti-ship missiles 2 × triple torpedo tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes 1 × double-barrel Bofors Boroc anti-submarine rockets
Aircraft carried	Westland Super Lynx Mk.21B helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helipad and hangar

Independência (F44) is a Niterói-class frigate of the Brazilian Navy. The Independência was the fifth ship of her class ordered by the Brazilian Navy, on 20 September 1970. The Independência was launched on 2 September 1974, and was commissioned on 3 September 1979.[2][3]

History

The Independência took over command of the Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (FTM-UNIFIL) on 28 January 2018, to carry out Operation Lebanon XIII from March to September 2018. The ship captained the FTM-UNIFIL, whose mission is to prevent entry into Lebanese territory, illegal arms and smuggling, as well as providing support for the development of the Lebanese Navy, in terms of training its personnel, in order to make it capable of controlling its territorial waters in the future.[4]

From August to October 2021, she sailed to the Gulf of Guinea in Operation "Guinex-I", which sought to improve joint maritime security capabilities of Brazil with partner African nations situated in the Gulf. Over the course of the operation, Independência visited Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé e Príncipe, Cameroon, Nigeria and Cape Verde, where GRUMEC operators took part in training local forces in anti-piracy and boarding operations.[5]

In 2023, the frigate, accompanied by the frigate União and the submarine Tikuna, conducted joint exercises with the destroyer ARA Sarandí and the offshore patrol vessel ARA Bartolomé Cordero of the Argentine Navy.[6]

References

1. "F Independência - F 44" (in Portuguese). naval.com.br. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
2. Alexandre Galante (31 May 2019). "Akaer revitalizará consoles do sistema SICONTA MkII Mod. 1 de três fragatas classe Niterói". Poder Naval - A informação naval comentada e discutida (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 3 September 2020.
3. "NGB - Fragata Independência - F 44". www.naval.com.br. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
4. Defense, Orbis (25 January 2018). "Orbis Defense: Fragata "Independência" (F44) prepare-se para assumir como Navio Capitânia na Operação "Líbano XIII"". Orbis Defense. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
5. "Fragata "Independência" realiza Operação "Guinex-I"" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
6. Gonzalo, Mary (9 September 2023). "Cooperación regional en acción: ejercicios combinados de la Armada Argentina". infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2023.