The keel of Brazil’s most modern frigate has been laid at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Kiel.
The Brazilian Navy, the procurement authority EMGEPRON and the company Águas Azuis, founded by ThyssenKrupp, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, jointly celebrated the keel laying of the country’s most modern frigate. The ship is being built at the Thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard in Itajaí[ds_preview].
The new frigate bears the name “Jerônimo de Albuquerque” and is the second ship in Brazil’s Tamandaré-class frigate program, which envisages the construction of a total of four units. These Meko-class ships feature the most advanced technologies and comprehensive air and naval defence capabilities.
Four Tamandaré frigates for Brazil
The Tamandaré program is considered the most innovative naval construction project in Brazil, developed with local manpower and a technology transfer managed by TKMS. In 2020, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems signed the contract to acquire the shipyard in Itajaí, Brazil, which now employs around 1,300 people.
The site is of particular strategic importance: it will be expanded into a hub for South America in the future to ensure faster customer service and local value creation and to be able to combine them.
“We are delighted to be able to celebrate another success in the surface sector. With the most modern frigate for Brazil, we are not only underlining our ambitions in international surface shipbuilding, but also strengthening our relationships in the entire South American region,” said Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS.
The keel laying of the frigate with the construction number F201 marks another milestone in the surface sector, following on from last year’s successes: the third high-performance frigate for the Egyptian Navy was delivered in record time at the end of 2023. The fourth frigate was launched at the beginning of December 2023 and is currently being completed at Alexandria Shipyard.
TKMS plans conversion to maritime powerhouse
In order to meet the constantly growing requirements, the company intends to further develop itself as a maritime powerhouse in the coming months and push ahead with integrated system solutions. This also includes the merger with Atlas Elektronik in Bremen.
At the same time, the Essen-based parent company and the global investment company Carlyle are currently examining cooperation. The aim is a possible partial sale to Carlyle. At the same time, talks are underway with the German government and the KfW Bank regarding the state’s participation in TKMS.
Economically, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is well-positioned for the coming years. The order backlog at the end of the 2022/2023 financial year amounted to around €13bn.
