Tamandaré-class frigate

For other ships with the same name, see Brazilian ship Tamandaré.
The lead ship Tamandaré under construction at ThyssenKrupp shipyard in Brazil, August 2024
Class overview
NameTamandaré class
BuildersThyssenKrupp Marine Systems
Operators Brazilian Navy
Preceded by
Cost
  • €2 billion (2023) for 4 units
  • €2.8 billion (2023) including development costs
Built2022-present
In commission2025 (expected)
Planned8[1]
Building3
General characteristics
TypeGeneral-purpose frigate
Displacement3.500 t (3.445 long tons)
Length107.2 m (351 ft 8 in)
Beam16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Draught5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph)
Range5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × RHIBs
Complement136
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Atlas ANCS combat management system
  • Hensoldt TRS-4D AESA C-band multi-function radar
  • Anschütz NautoScan X-band navigation radar
  • Thales STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 medium and long-range tracking radar
  • Safran PASEO XLR extra long-range EO/IR and FCS system
  • SATCOM terminal with SGDC satellite link
  • Atlas ASO 713 hull-mounted sonar
  • Hensoldt Mode 5 IFF system
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Omnisys MAGE Defensor Mk3 ESM system
  • Terma anti-torpedo decoys
  • Seagnat chaff dispensers
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck and enclosed hangar for one medium-lift helicopter
NotesSources:[2][3][4][5][6]

The Tamandaré class is a series of stealth frigates under construction for the Brazilian Navy since 2022, based on the MEKO family of warships. The project was developed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in partnership with Embraer Defense and Security. As of 2024, four ships have been ordered, with other four planned as a second batch.

Development

Batch 1

The program was created in 2017 with the main purpose of replacing all the current major surface combatants of the Niterói-class frigates in operation since 1975, the Broadsword-class boats acquired second-hand from the United Kingdom in the 1990s, and the Inhaúma-class corvettes.[7] 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.[8]

On 15 October 2018, after more than a year of studies by the Directorate of Program Management of the Navy and the Naval Projects Management Company, the short-list of the finalist projects was released, the selected projects were: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and the MEKO A-100, the Sigma-class of Damen Group, Naval Group's Gowind-class and Fincantieri with Brazilian Navy's indigenous project variant.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

The construction of the lead ship, Tamandaré, started on 5 September 2022, with the second boat, Jerônimo de Albuquerque, on 1 November 2023. Tamandaré, was launched on 9 August 2024.[12] As of November 2023, each ship of the first batch cost around €518 million, the total program cost was reported €2.75 billion, incremented by R&D costs of €750 million.[13]

Batch 2

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.[12][14]

Design

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 GWS-35 vertical launching system surface-to-air missiles cells, anti-surface warfare with the Brazilian MANSUP missiles, and anti-submarine warfare. The class was developed with the two island philosophy.[15]

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.[16]

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. The class is fitted for, but not equipped with LAM cruise missiles.[17][18][19]

Participation of Brazilian companies

Like other major defense programs in the country, the government demanded from the winning consortium the construction of the ships in Brazil, the participation of Brazilian companies in the industrial process and the transfer of related technologies.[7] Embraer, along its subsidiary Atech, are responsible for the integration of systems and sensors of the class. Other companies like Akaer Engenharia are involved in the industrial process, nationalizing components and parts of the structure to reduce costs and foreign dependence.[20] Around 40% of the ship's components are produced in the country.[21]

Ships of the class

The ships are named after key people in the history of the Imperial Brazilian Navy.[22]

Name Hull Number Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned Status
Batch 1
Tamandaré F200 ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems 24 March 2023[23] 9 August 2024[24] December 2025[25] Fitting out
Jerônimo de Albuquerque F201 6 June 2024[26] August 2025[12] 2026[24] Under construction; first steel cut 1 November 2023[27]
Cunha Moreira F202 July 2026[12] 2027[24] Under construction; first steel cut 13 November 2024[28]
Mariz e Barros F203 November 2027[12] 2028[24] Ordered[12]
Batch 2
TBD F204 ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Planned[12]
TBD F205 Planned[12]
TBD F206 Planned[12]
TBD F207 Planned[12]
  Planned date

See also

References

  1. ^ @marmilbr (9 August 2024). "Infographic Tamandaré class" (Tweet) (in Portuguese) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Brasil inicia construcción de fragatas clase Tamandaré". Pucara (in Spanish). 9 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Navio de guerra da Marinha construído em SC faz parte de projeto bilionário de defesa nacional". G1 (in Portuguese). 8 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Fragatas Classe Tamandaré estão em fase avançada de configuração". Defesa Aerea e Naval (in Portuguese). 10 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Brasil activa la unidad que desplegará los RPAS ScanEagle desde las fragatas Tamandaré". Infodefensa (in Spanish). 14 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Brasil coloca la quilla de la fragata Jerônimo de Albuquerque F-201, la segunda de la clase Tamandaré". Infodefensa (in Spanish). 7 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Programa Fragatas Classe Tamandaré". Marinha do Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Classe Tamandaré - Marinha do Brasil encerra a primeira etapa do projeto de obtenção". Defesa Net (in Portuguese). 16 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Marinha do Brasil divulga short-list do Projeto classe Tamandaré". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 15 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Marinha compra quatro fragatas por R$ 9,1 bilhões". UOL (in Portuguese). 4 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Estaleiro responsável por construir as fragatas Classe Tamandaré agora é thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul". Defesa Aérea & Naval (in Portuguese). 12 January 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "La Armada de Brasil presenta la primera Fragata Tamarandé". Pucará Defensa (in Spanish). 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Classe Tamandaré: contrato foi reajustado para mais de 11 bilhões de reais no ano passado". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 10 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Brazil's National Maritime Strategy" (PDF). Poder Naval (in Portuguese). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Competitividade é palavra-chave para fornecedores do projeto das fragatas". FIESC (in Portuguese). 23 September 2020.
  16. ^ "TRS-4D Rotator Multi-function surveillance and target acquisition radar". Hensoldt. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  17. ^ "El legado de la Clase Niterói: Brasil está a un paso de la botadura de la primera fragata clase Tamandaré". Infodefensa (in Spanish). 19 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Sea Snake 30 brochure" (PDF). Rheinmetall. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2024.
  19. ^ "MAGE Defensor brochure" (PDF). Omnisys (in Portuguese). Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Akaer entrega as primeiras três escotilhas para a Fragata Tamandaré". Defesa Aérea e Naval. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Comenzó la construcción de la tercera de las nuevas fragatas clase Tamandaré de la Marina de Brasil". Zona Militar (in Spanish). 16 November 2024.
  22. ^ "Segundo o site Alide, navios da classe Tamandaré já têm nome". Poder Naval (in Portuguese).
  23. ^ "Press release" (PDF). mar.mil.br (in Portuguese). 24 March 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 July 2024.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "Fragata Tamandaré é transferida para dique flutuante". Defesa Aérea e Naval (in Portuguese). 13 August 2024.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ "Realizado o corte da primeira chapa de aço da Fragata 'Cunha Moreira'". Defesa Aérea e Naval (in Portuguese). 14 November 2024.