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Tamandaré
Class overview
Name	Tamandaré class
Builders	ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems
Operators	Brazilian Navy
Preceded by	Broadsword class Niterói class
Cost	€2 billion for 4 units €2.8 billion including R&D costs
Built	2022–present
In commission	2025+
Planned	8
Building	3
General characteristics
Type	General-purpose frigate
Displacement	3.500 t (3.445 long tons)
Length	107.2 m (351 ft 8 in)
Beam	16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Draught	5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	CODAD 4 × MAN V12 28/33D 5,460 kW (7,320 hp) each 4 × Caterpillar C32 1,417 kW (1,900 hp) each 2 × propeller shafts, 5-bladed controllable pitch propellers Total output: 27,508 kW (36,889 shp)
Speed	25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph)
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × RHIBs
Complement	136
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	1 × 12-cell VLS for 12 Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missiles 1 × Oto Melara 76 mm Super Rapid gun (mounted in stealth cupola) 1 × Rheinmetall Sea Snake 30 mm CIWS 2 × Sea Defender 12.7 mm RWS 8 × MANSUP anti-ship missiles 2 × triple torpedo tubes for Mark 54 torpedoes
Aircraft carried	S-70B Seahawk or H225M helicopter ScanEagle UAV
Aviation facilities	Flight deck and enclosed hangar for one medium-lift helicopter
Notes	Sources:

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.

History

In 2017 the program was created 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. Several companies from seventeen countries entered in the competition opened by the Ministry of Defence, offering different types of projects and offset packages. The list of all participating companies was released on 16 May 2017.

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 in October 2018, the selected projects were: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and the MEKO A-100, the Sigma-class of Damen Group, the Gowind-class of Naval Group and Fincantieri with Brazilian Navy's indigenous project variant.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with a 3,500-ton MEKO A-100-class variant was declared winner in March 2019, with the contract for the first batch of four units signed on 6 March 2020. In January 2021, ThyssenKrupp confirmed the acquisition of the Oceana shipyard in Itajaí, becoming the company's first shipyard in Latin America, with the objective of building the new Brazilian frigates. The construction of the lead ship, Tamandaré, started in September 2022 and the launch ceremony of the boat took place in August 2024.

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. The Brazilian Navy announced plans to build a second batch of four more units in August 2024, confirming the National Maritime Strategy published by the MoD in 2023.

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.

Tamandaré is equipped with the Hensoldt TRS-4D active electronically scanned array radar, able to track 1,500 targets at a range of up to 250 km (160 mi). 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.

Rheinmetall, a German defense company, is responsible for the supply of its new close-in weapon system, Sea Snake, armed with a 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.

Participation of Brazilian companies

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

Ships of the class

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

See also

• Incheon-class frigate (South Korea)
• Formidable-class frigate (Singapore)
• Constellation-class frigate (United States)
• Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate (Norway)
• Defence and intervention frigate (France)
• Riachuelo-class submarines
• Future of the Brazilian Armed Forces

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. ^ "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. ^ "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. "Sea Snake 30 brochure" (PDF). Rheinmetall. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2024.
18. "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.
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. ^ "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.

v t e Ship classes of the Brazilian Navy
submarines	Tupi class Riachuelo class
helicopter carrier	Atlântico
frigates	Broadsword class Niterói class Tamandaré class
corvettes	Inhaúma class
landing platform docks	Foudre class Round Table class
patrol boats	Amazonas class Macaé class Bracuí class Grajaú class NPa-500MB
minesweepers	Aratu class
replenishment tanker	Almirante Gastão Motta
submarine rescue ship	Guillobel
Icebreakers	Almirante Maximiano Ary Rongel Almirante Saldanha
research ships	Vital de Oliveira Cruzeiro do Sul Antares Sirius
training ships	Brasil Cisne Branco Aspirante Nascimento class
tugboats	Almirante Guilhem class Mearim class Triunfo class Aspirante Moura Aspirante Hess
S: single ship

• Tamandaré-class frigates
• Frigate classes
• Stealth ships
• Ships built in Brazil