The transfer of the hull sections to the shipyard at the Itaguaí Naval Complex marks the beginning of the construction phase of the fourth PROSUB submarine, Angostura. According to the schedule foreseen for the Brazilian Navy’s Submarine Program (PROSUB), Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN) is carrying out, from April 19 to May 2, the transfer of sections of the submarine “Angostura” (S-43), the fourth conventional (diesel-electric powered) submarine, of the Program, from the Metallic Structures Manufacturing Unit for the Construction Shipyard, located at the Itaguaí Naval Complex (CNI), in Rio de Janeiro State.
The operation of transferring the sections will be carried out in three stages until all of them are at the construction site for the final assembly of the submarine. The aft section, the first to be transferred, houses the electric propulsion engine, as well as the vertical and horizontal rudder systems, propeller shaft, and propeller. The second section will be transferred at the end of April, and the last one will be transferred at the beginning of May.
The arrival of the sections at the shipyard marks the beginning of the final assembly of the submarine “Angostura” and confirms the technical competence of the Brazilian industry in the construction of the “Riachuelo” class submarines. This operation, perfected since the transfer of sections of the “Riachuelo” in 2017, requires detailed planning, from adapting sections of the electricity network to selective interruptions of traffic on BR-493, carried out in coordination with various bodies to ensure safety and not cause damage to urban mobility in the area.
The Scorpène-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines jointly developed by the French Naval Group (formerly the DCNS) and the Spanish company Navantia. It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP). In 2009, Brazil purchased four enlarged Scorpènes for US$ 10 billion with a technology transfer agreement and a second agreement to develop a French/Brazilian nuclear-powered submarine. The Brazilian submarine class was given the designation Riachuelo class.
