The Ãguas Azuis consortium and Emgepron (Empresa Gerencial de Projetos Navais), an independent Brazilian state-controlled company linked to the Ministry of Defense through the Brazilian Navy Command, signed a contract for building four Tamandaré-class corvettes in Rio de Janeiro at the state-controlled Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro (AMRJ) shipyard in Rio de Janeiro. The Ãguas Azuis consortium created by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, was selected last year to build the ship quartet under the program valued at up to BRL9.1 billion (USD2 billion).
The Ãguas Azuis consortium was selected to supply the Brazilian Navy with four Tamandaré-class ships on 28 March 2019, after best-and-final offers were submitted by four consortiums on 8 March. The Tamandaré-class ships are planned for delivery between 2025 and 2028. According to Brazilian Navy specifications, the corvettes will measure 107,2 meters in length and will displace 3,455 tons. The four frigates – Tamandaré , Jerônimo de Albuquerque , Cunha Moreira , and Mariz e Barros – will be built by Brazilian shipbuilder Estaleiro Oceana in ItajaÃ, Santa Catarina. Under the contract terms the ships are expected to be commissioned between 2025 and 2028.
The Tamandaré-class, which will be based on thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’s MEKO A-100 design, are being acquired under the navy’s Construction of the Naval Power Core strategic programme. thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will supply the naval technology of its Meko class shipbuilding platform. Embraer will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system, while Atech, an Embraer Group company, will be the supplier of the combat management system (CMS) and integrated platform management system (IPMS), and the recipient of technology transfer in cooperation with Atlas Elektronik, a thyssenkrupp Marine Systems subsidiary that produces the CMS and sonar systems.
The new multi-mission vessels will be based on the proven MEKO Class shipbuilding solutions from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems that are already deployed in 82 vessels operating in the Navies of 15 countries, including Portugal, Greece, Australia, Argentina, and Algeria. The MEKO stands for “Mehrzweck-Kombination” (English: multi-purpose-combination). It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. The MEKO modular design concept facilitates local integration and technology transfer, helping to reduce maintenance and modernization costs.
