August 9 was a historic milestone of shipbuilding developed in the country. The Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) and the Special Purpose Company (SPE) Águas Azuis held the Launching Ceremony of the Frigate “Tamandaré” (F200), the first of the four of the four planned in the “Tamandaré” Class Frigates Program (PFCT). The event was held at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul (tkEBS), in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. The PFCT is considered the most innovative shipbuilding project developed in Brazil, with local labor and technology transfer.
The frigate launched today has high combat power, is capable of protecting the extensive Brazilian maritime area, with more than 5.7 million km², the “Blue Amazon”, in addition to having the capacity to carry out search and rescue operations, monitor and combat pollution, piracy, legal fishing, among other threats, and also meet international commitments.
The event was attended by the President of the Republic, Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, the Minister of Defense, José Mucio Monteiro, the Commander of the Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, and other representatives of the admiralty and other authorities, as well as members of the defense industry and the scientific and technological community.
In his speech, the President of the Republic stated that “the technological modernization of our Armed Forces and the strengthening of its Defense Industrial Base is a strategic initiative from the most different points of view: defense, economy, technology, and international cooperation. This project, which adds state-of-the-art technology, is the result of a very well-built partnership between the Ministry of Defense and the Brazilian Navy with the Águas Azuis consortium.”
The Minister of Defense, José Mucio, recalled that he is very pleased to see the result of the initiatives of different segments of Brazilian society. “There is no better proof of our capacity, in terms of Defense, than the delivery of the “Tamandaré” Class Frigates. This will make it possible to replace ships with more than 40 years of operation. Materializing, therefore, the urgent renewal of our Squadron. And this demand to make the Navy more capable of defending Brazil’s interests at sea, coincides with the confirmation of the immense volume of wealth to be protected for the Brazilian people, in our Blue Amazon.”
The PFCT aims to modernize the Brazilian Squadron, reinforcing its ability to guarantee the country’s sovereignty, in addition to encouraging the growth of the national defense industry and the production chain necessary for the construction of ships on Brazilian soil. Over the course of the program, more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created.
The Commander of the Navy, Admiral Olsen, highlighted the importance of the natural wealth and the immeasurable economic potential that encompass Brazilian jurisdictional waters, which constitutes an unavoidable stimulus for the State to have a naval power with characteristics of mobility, permanence, versatility and flexibility. “Brazil is unviable without the organized use of the vast maritime domain, a coastline of about 7,500 km in confrontation with the Atlantic Ocean, through which about 95 percent of its foreign trade travels.”
SPE Águas Azuis is formed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense and Security and Atech. The PFCT is managed by the Naval Project Management Company (EMGEPRON). Since the signing of the contract with MB in March 2020, important advances in construction activities have been achieved, following the established schedule. The Frigate “Tamandaré” began construction in September 2022, and is expected to be delivered to the Navy at the end of 2025.
Frigate “Tamandaré”, the F200The Frigate “Tamandaré” has an approximate displacement of 3,500 tons and is equipped with a deck, helicopter hangar, radars, sensors, and state-of-the-art weapons. It is an escort ship, endowed with important and considerable combat capacity, operating in all war environments, namely: surface, air and submarine. One of its main tasks is the protection of units of greater value, when operating in a task group, with ships of different characteristics.
About 130 military personnel are expected to work on the F200, who are already undergoing specialized training, so that everyone is ready to operate the vessel safely and efficiently.
Naval tradition: baptism
The launching ceremony is the moment when the ship receives its official name. The frigate “Tamandaré” gives its name to the class: “Tamandaré”, a tribute to Admiral Joaquim Marques Lisboa, the Marquis of Tamandaré. He is the Patron of the Brazilian Navy and defended the nation in different and important conflicts, including the Cisplatine War and the War of the Triple Alliance.
In keeping with the naval tradition of baptism, in order to attract good luck and protection for the ship and its crew, Mrs. Vera Brennand, wife of the Minister of Defense, baptized the Frigate during the traditional act of breaking a bottle of sparkling wine on the hull of the vessel.
The baptism of boats dates back to an ancient ritual that refers to the traditions of Vikings, Romans, Greeks and Babylonians. It is in this perspective that the Launching Ceremony of a ship into the sea is situated, when it is baptized by a godmother and receives its official name.
F200 next steps
In modern shipbuilding projects, such as the one adopted in the PFCT, the ship is launched into the sea by an operation called “load out”, which consists of moving the vessel to a floating dock, and then controlled immersion of this platform is carried out, until the ship reaches its own lift in the water. This is a complex procedure, which will take place in the coming days. After this stage, the frigate will be transferred to the pier until the completion of the necessary finishes and tests, and then proceed to the sea trial.
About the “Tamandaré” Class Frigates Program
The Program provides for the transfer of technology for handling and manufacturing ships from steel plates with low thickness, in addition to production in blocks, to be built later. In this way, it is possible to install accessories and foundations in advance, in addition to facilitating the placement of equipment on board and enabling work in several stages in a segregated manner in each unit. The process also increases the safety of employees, by keeping spaces open for longer during construction.
In addition, PFCT works with paperless technology, which aims at fully digital development, eliminating paper on the production line, promoting environmental preservation. The project provides for the management of the ship’s life cycle, which projects investments from construction to the dismantling of the environment.
All vessels will be produced in the national territory, with high rates of local content and technology transfer, which increase national shipbuilding and foster the Defense Industrial Base. By building the vessels in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, MB made it possible to reactivate a shipyard, rehiring professionals and generating more jobs and income for the region.
The Frigates are an important reinforcement in the protection of the more than five million km² of area of our Blue Amazon. It is in the sea that the main oil and gas exploration platforms in Brazil are located; It is through the sea that most of the national production is exported and it is also through the sea that many Brazilians make a living and income through fishing and tourism.
The four Frigates will be delivered to the Navy gradually, between 2025 and 2029.
Frigate “Jerônimo de Albuquerque”, the second vessel in the program, is already being built
In June 2024, the Keel Laying Ceremony of the Frigate “Jerônimo de Albuquerque” (F-201) was held, which also marked the advancement of the PFCT. The construction of the frigates is done by means of blocks, they are assembled separately and then joined, giving shape to the ship. In this case, the beating is characterized by the positioning of one of these blocks at its building site.
The second Frigate of the Program, scheduled for delivery in 2027, is named Jerônimo de Albuquerque, in honor of the first native Brazilian to command a Naval Force to defend Brazil. He was one of the heroes of the conquest of Maranhão.
Technical information of the Frigate Tamandaré:
Length: 107.2m
Width: 15.95m
Point (height): 20.2m
Displacement: 3380 tons
Autonomy: 5,500 nautical miles
Speed: 25 knots(equivalent to about 47 km/h)