The keel has been laid on the future Mariz e Barros, the fourth Tamandaré-class stealth frigate of the Brazilian Navy.
Last week’s keel-laying ceremony represents the beginning of the structural assembly of the vessel, which is being assembled at TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil.
Mariz e Barros will be the final vessel in the first batch of frigates, which are 107-metre multipurpose warships based on TKMS’s MEKO A-100 platform, displacing about 3,500 tons.
They have a range of around 5,500 nautical miles, can cruise at more than 25 knots, and each have 12-cell vertical launch systems (VLS) for SeaCeptor surface-to-air missiles, as well as eight Mansup anti-ship missiles and Mk54 torpedoes.
The frigates also feature a flight deck and hangar capable of accommodating either a S-70B Seahawk or Airbus H225M helicopter. The warships may also embark a Boeing ScanEagle uncrewed aerial system (UAS).
The Brazilian Navy took delivery of the first-in-class ship Tamandaré in April. The second warship, Jerônimo de Albuquerque, was launched in August last year; she has begun her sea trials and a weapons demonstration is expected to take place in the first half of 2027.
Third-in-class frigate Cunha Moreira was launched in June this year and is expected to be delivered in 2028, with the final ship following suit in 2029.
Brazil has also signalled its intention to acquire four more Tamandaré-class frigates; at the commissioning ceremony for the Tamandaré, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed paving the way for four more ships.
The MoU signed at her commissioning between the German shipbuilder, the Ministry of Defense of Brazil and Embraer, signals an intent to build a second batch of four similar warships.
CEO of TKMS Brazil Paulo Alvarenga said: “The keel-laying of the fourth frigate marks the completion of a fundamental cycle of the ‘Tamandaré’ Class Frigate Programme.
“It demonstrates that Brazil has indeed established an industrial capacity to build highly complex military vessels, a legacy that will remain far beyond the delivery of this first batch.
“The results achieved so far give us full confidence that the country is prepared to take the next step with the contracting of a second batch of four frigates, ensuring the continuity of this strategic capability.”
- You can read more details on the Brazilian Navy website
