On March 24, 2023, the Brazilian shipbuilding enterprise thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul, owned by the German association thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), in Itajai (Santa Catarina State), hosted the laying ceremony for the Brazilian Navy of the lead frigate F 35 Tamandare of the German project MEKO A100 in a series of four units. The ceremony was attended by the Commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen.
Project image of the frigate F 35 Tamandare under construction for the Brazilian Navy of the German project MECO A100 (c) TKMS thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul enterprise in Itajai, where the construction of frigates has begun, is specially acquired by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS, part of thyssenkrupp concern) in 2020 for the implementation of this program by the former Oceana Estaleiro S.A. shipyard, previously owned by the Brazilian company Aliança S.A. (part of the Brazilian SVO Group) and specialized in the construction and operation of offshore vessels to ensure oil production.
Recall that in March 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian state naval design and procurement organization Emgepron, representing the Brazilian Navy, signed an international tender with the consortium of Águas Azuis as part of the German association TKMS and the Brazilian companies Embraer Defense & Security and Atech (the latter is also part of the Embraer Group) a contract worth 9.1 billion Brazilian reais (about $ 2 billion) for the construction of four corvettes for the Brazilian Navy (then reclassified into frigates) under the Tamandare program (CCT - Corvetas Classe Tamandaré) based on the MEKO A100 project submitted by TKMS. In January 2021, due to the fall in the Brazilian real exchange rate, the contract value was increased to 9.56 billion reais, which, however, corresponds to 1.84 billion dollars (since then, the exchange rate has approximately remained at this level).
The construction of all four ships should be carried out by the Aguas Azuis consortium with TKMS in the lead role at the shipyard in Itajai. Earlier it was reported that the share of Brazilian participation in the construction at cost will be 31.6%. for the lead ship Tamandaré and 41% for the next three ships Jerônimo de Albuquerque, Cunha Moreira and Mariz e Vaggoso (that is, in fact, only assembly will be carried out in Italy to a large extent). All four units should be commissioned in 2025-2028.
The actual construction of the lead ship was started in Itajai in September 2022. The lead frigate F 35 Tamandare, according to the schedule published at the time of laying, should be launched in the summer of 2024 and handed over to the Brazilian Navy by the end of 2025, but there are doubts that these deadlines will be kept. The start of construction of the second frigate F 36 Jerônimo de Albuquerque in Itajai is scheduled for the end of 2023.
Atech will supply CMS (Combat Management System) and IPMS (Integrated Platform Management System) for the frigates, which it will develop and produce in partnership with the German company Atlas Elektronik (controlled by the same TKMS), the latter will supply part of the ships' electronic weapons, including GAS. Embraer Defense & Security will perform a system integrator of ships. Brazilian companies Ares Aeroespacial e Defesa S.A, Fundação Ezute, Omnisys Engenharia Ltda, SKM Eletro Eletrônica Ltda and WEG equipamentos elétricos S.A. will also act as suppliers of various equipment.
The Tamandare type frigate should have a normal displacement of 3380 tons and a full displacement of 3455 tons, the maximum length of 107.2 m, width of 16 m, draft of 5.2 m. The two-shaft main power plant will include four MAN 12V 28/33 DSTC diesel engines with a capacity of 7320 hp, electricity is provided by four Caterpillar C32 diesel generators. The full speed will be 25.5 knots, economic - 14 knots. The cruising range of the economic course is 5000 miles. The crew is 130 people.
The ship's armament should include four or eight MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 2/3 or Brazilian MANSUP anti-ship missiles, a 12-charge MBDA Sea Ceptor medium-range vertical air defense missile launcher with SAMM anti-aircraft missiles, a 76 mm/62 Leonardo OTO Melara Super Rapid universal artillery launcher, one 30 mm Rheinmetall Sea Snake remotely controlled artillery launcher 30, two 12.7 mm remotely operated FN Herstal Sea Defender machine guns, two 7.62mm six-barreled M134 machine guns on turret mounts, two 324 mm three-tube SEA TLS-TLT torpedo tubes for anti-submarine torpedoes. The Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk or Westland Super Lynx Mk 21B anti-submarine helicopter is permanently based in the hangar, and the ship must also carry Boeing Insitu ScanEagle UAVs.
The electronic weapons will include the already mentioned Embraer/Atech CMS and IPMS automation complex, Hensoldt TRS-4D general detection radar with AFAR, two Raytheon X and S-band navigation radars, Thales STIR 1.2 EO Mk 2 fire control system, Safran PASEO XLR optoelectronic system, Brazilian electronic warfare complex (apparently, in fact, Israeli) development of Omnisys MAGE Defender ET/SLR-1 Mk 3, as well as Atlas Elektronik ASO 713 gas in the fairing.
The laying ceremony for the Brazilian Navy at the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) Brazilian shipbuilding company thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Itajai (Santa Catarina State) of the lead frigate F 35 Tamandare of the German project MEKO A100 in a series of four units, 03/24/2023 (c) Brazilian NavyThe official model of the frigate F 35 Tamandare under construction for the Brazilian Navy of the German project MECO A100 (c) www.naval.com.br
Video:
