TKMS holds keel laying ceremony for 1st Brazilian Tamandare class frigate.

According to a PR published by TKMS on March 24, 2023, the Brazilian Navy and Águas Azuis, a special purpose entity (SPE) formed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, celebrated another milestone in the construction of the Tamandaré frigate: the ship’s keel laying.
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Keel laying ceremony of the first Tamandare class frigate Tamandare. (Picture source: Brazilian MoD)

The ceremony, which took place at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, was attended by the Commander of the Navy Fleet Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, and other civil and military authorities from the defense sector and the naval industry.

Traditionally celebrated in shipbuilding, the keel laying takes place when the keel, the “backbone” of the vessel, is completed, allowing the construction of the other parts.

Nowadays, with the engineering evolution and the modern production processes adopted in the Tamandaré Class Frigates Program (PFCT), it is possible for the ships to be built in blocks.

In the case of the Tamandaré frigate, the first of the four ships in the PFCT, the keel laying was characterized by the positioning at its building site of an important structural block, which corresponds to the forward engine room. In this metal structure, which weighs approximately 52 tons, two engines, a gearbox and several pumps and auxiliary equipment will be installed.

The innovations involved in the PFCT extend throughout the entire production chain. Historically, projects of this size are developed from a large number of printed documents, such as drawings, procedures and manuals, which require many copies and recurring updates.

In this sense, the shipyard has implemented a methodology for engineering projects called “Paperless”, which consists of eliminating the use of paper drawings in the frigate’s production line, transforming them into digital files.

This approach brings advantages for the information security of the documents, due to the confidentiality required in a military project, and also benefits the environment.

Next stages

The state of PFCT construction is advancing within schedule, and currently represents 34 % of its total evolution. For the next stages, it is planned to build the block that forms the aft engine room, with the positioning of the equipment and engines in place.

Next, the built blocks will complete the central structures of the ship. It should be noted that, of the more than fifty structural units that make up the construction sequence of the first Tamandaré Class frigate, about a quarter are in the process of structural assembly at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul, and others are already cut and shaped, with panels and subassemblies completed.

As for the qualification of the personnel who will be responsible for maintaining the ship’s systems, around 50 % of the activities regarding systems engineering and integrated logistic support have already been concluded.

The launch of the Tamandaré frigate is estimated for mid-2024 and its delivery to the Brazilian Navy at the end of 2025. The cutting of the hull plate of the second Tamandaré Class frigate is expected to take place later this year.

Increase in the protection of Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters (BJW)

Conducted since 2017 by the Brazilian Navy, executed by Águas Azuis and managed by Empresa Gerencial de Projetos Navais (EMGEPRON), the Tamandaré Class Frigates Program is the most modern and innovative naval project developed in the country, comprising the building, within national territory, of four defense ships of high technological complexity.

The vessels must reach operational capacity to respond and protect the “Blue Amazon”, generating technology transfer and perpetual license, and promoting local industry and civil construction in the country.

Timeline

On June 21st, 2022, a prototype of the engine room compartment section was completed; this is used for the qualification of various processes related to the manufacture of the vessels. As a highlight of the stages already carried out, the hull plate of the first Tamandaré Class frigate was cut on September 5th, 2022, this being considered the main milestone for the beginning of the construction phase.

Technical data

The ship will have a displacement of 3,360 tons (3,310 long tons; 3,700 short tons) and will measures 107.2 m (351 ft 8 in) in length, 16 m (52 ft 6 in) in beam, and 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) in draft.

She will have a maximum speed of 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph) and a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi). The ship's complement will consist of 130 personnel.