 Tamandaré, the first ship of the class, under sea trials in 2025 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tamandaré class |
| Builders | TKMS |
| Operators |  Brazilian Navy |
| Preceded by | |
| Cost | US$555 million per unit (est.)[1] |
| Built | 2022–present |
| In commission | 2025+ |
| Planned | 8[2] |
| Building | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | General-purposefrigate |
| Displacement | 3.500 t (3.445long tons) |
| Length | 107.2 m (351 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 16 m (52 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 4 × CaterpillarC32 diesel generators 1,417kW each |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | |
| Range | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 ×RHIBs |
| Complement | c. 130 |
| Sensors & processing systems | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament | |
| Aircraft carried | |
| Notes | Sources:[5][6][7][8][9] |
TheTamandaré class is a series ofstealthfrigates being built for theBrazilian Navy. The class is intended to enter service in 2025 as part of a broader Brazilian government's naval program called "National Maritime Strategy".[10]
Under construction by the German shipyardThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in the Brazilian city ofItajaí in association with the defense division ofEmbraer, it is based on theBlohm+VossMehrzweck-Kombination (MEKO) family of warships.
The program was created in 2017 with the main purpose of replacing all the current major surface combatants of theNiterói-class frigates in operation since 1975, theBroadsword-class boats acquired second-hand from the United Kingdom in the 1990s, and theInhaúma-class corvettes.[11] Several companies from seventeen countries entered in the competition opened by theMinistry of Defence, offering different types of projects and offset packages. The list of all participating companies was released on 16 May 2017.[12]
After more than a year of studies by the Directorate of Program Management of the Navy and theNaval Projects Management Company, the short-list of the finalist projects was released in October 2018, the selected projects were: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and theMEKO A-100, theSigma-class ofDamen Group, theGowind-class ofNaval Group andFincantieri with Brazilian Navy's indigenous project variant.[13]
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.[14] In January 2021, ThyssenKrupp confirmed the acquisition of the Oceana shipyard inItajaí, becoming the company's first shipyard in Latin America, with the objective of building the new Brazilian frigates.[15] The construction of thelead ship,Tamandaré, started in September 2022 and the launch ceremony of the boat took place in August 2024.[16] As of November 2023, each ship of the first batch cost around $555 million (R$2.77 billion), the total program cost was reported $2.2 billion.[1]
The Brazilian Navy announced plans to build a second batch of four more units in August 2024,[16] confirming the National Maritime Strategy published by the MoD in 2023.[10] On 7 November 2025, was reported that a negotiation for additional ships "would begin in the coming months".[17]
The class was based on theMEKO family ofwarships, 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 theanti-aircraft warfare role withSea Ceptor surface-to-air missiles,anti-surface warfare with the BrazilianMANSUP missiles, andanti-submarine warfare. The class was developed with the two island philosophy.[18]
Tamandaré is equipped with theHensoldt TRS-4Dactive electronically scanned array radar, able to track 1,000 targets at a range of up to 250 km (160 mi).[19] 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.[20]
Rheinmetall, a German defense company, is responsible for the supply of its newclose-in weapon system,Sea Snake, armed with a 30 mm revolver cannon with ABM (air burst ammunition) capability.[21] The MAGE Defensor suite responsible for theelectronic warfare support measures (ESM),electronic countermeasure (ECM) and theelectronic signals intelligence (ELINT) systems of the class, was developed by the Brazilian company Omnisys.[22] The class is fitted for, but not equipped withland-attack cruise missiles.[3]
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 thetransfer of technologies.[11] 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.[23] The ammunition for theOto Melara 76 mm naval gun will be produced domestically, including the VULCANO variant.[24] Around 40% of each ship's parts are produced in the country.[25]
The ships are named after key people in the history of theImperial Brazilian Navy.[26]
| Name | Hull no. | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian Navy Tamandaré class | ||||||
| Tamandaré | F200 | TKMS | 24 Mar 2023[27] | 9 Aug 2024[28] | Dec 2025[29] | Sea trials[30] |
| Jerônimo de Albuquerque | F201 | 6 Jun 2024[31] | 8 Aug 2025[32] | Jan 2027[32] | Fitting out[30] | |
| Cunha Moreira | F202 | 5 Jun 2025[33] | Jul 2026[16] | 2027[28] | Under construction[34] | |
| Mariz e Barros | F203 | - | Nov 2027[16] | 2028[28] | Ordered[16] | |
| TBA | F204 | - | - | - | Planned[16][35] | |
| TBA | F205 | - | - | - | Planned[16][35] | |
| TBA | F206 | - | - | - | Planned[16][35] | |
| TBA | F207 | - | - | - | Planned[16][35] | |
| submarines |  | |
|---|---|---|
| helicopter carrier | ||
| frigates | ||
| corvettes | ||
| landing platform docks | ||
| patrol boats | ||
| minesweepers | ||
| replenishment tanker | ||
| submarine rescue ship | ||
| ice-strengthenedresearch ships | ||
| research ships |
| |
| training ships |
| |
| tugboats |
| |
S: single ship | ||
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