Keel laid for Brazilian Navy’s second Tamandaré-class frigate

The Brazilian Navy has held a keel-laying ceremony for the second Tamandaré-class frigate at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard in Itajaí.

The procurement agency Emgepron, and the company Águas Azuis, founded by thyssenkrupp, Embraer Defence & Security, and Atech, jointly held the ceremony on June 7.

The new frigate, Jerônimo de Albuquerque, is the second ship in Brazil’s Tamandaré-class frigate program, for which a total of four units are to be built.

The Tamandaré program is considered Brazil’s most innovative naval construction project and was developed with the help of local manpower and a technology transfer managed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

In 2020, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems signed an agreement to acquire the shipyard in Itajaí, Brazil.

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate another success in the surface vessel sector, as well. The construction of the most modern frigate for Brazil not only highlights our ambitions in international surface ship construction, but is also helping to bolster our relationships in the whole of South America,” said Oliver Burkhard, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

“In the future we want to develop our leadership in products into a leadership in systems. This means offering not only the best subsystems, but also the best integrated solution. To make this possible, we are working towards achieving a new and improved position as a maritime powerhouse, which will allow us to secure and expand our status as a leading naval company.”

The steel for the second vessel was cut in November 2023.

The keel for the first frigate was laid in March 2023. The launch of the first Tamandaré frigate is estimated for mid-2024 and its delivery to the Brazilian Navy at the end of 2025.