The Brazilian Navy has begun construction of the fourth Tamandaré-class frigate, F203 Mariz e Barros, with the first steel cutting ceremony held at the Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard in Itajaí, Santa Catarina.
The shipyard belongs to the German company TKMS and operates in Brazil through Estaleiro Brasil Sul.
The event was announced by the Brazilian Navy and was attended by the Navy’s Director of Program Management, Vice Admiral Marcelo da Silva Gomes, who activated the cutting machine, symbolizing the formal start of construction of the new frigate at the TKMS shipyard in Itajaí.
According to the program schedule, F203 is expected to be launched in 2027 and commissioned into the Brazilian Navy in 2029. With the start of construction of the fourth vessel, Estaleiro Brasil Sul reaches the peak of its production capacity, with the first four frigates being built simultaneously in the country. At the same time, the program’s localization rate has already reached 40%.
The lead ship of the class, Tamandaré (F200), was launched in August 2024, conducted its sea acceptance trials between August and December 2025, and is expected to be transferred to the Navy’s operational staff in the first half of 2026. The second unit, F201 Jerônimo de Albuquerque, is scheduled to begin sea trials in mid-2026, while the third, F202 Cunha Moreira, is planned to be launched in July 2026.
Tamandaré-class frigate
In March 2020, following an international bidding process initiated in 2013, the Brazilian Navy signed a contract worth BRL 9.1 billion for the construction of four ships under the Tamandaré program, initially classified as corvettes and later reclassified as frigates. The project is based on the MEKO A100 design presented by TKMS.
The Tamandaré-class frigates have a standard displacement of 3,380 tonnes and a maximum displacement of up to 3,500 tonnes, with a length of 107.2 meters, a beam of 16 meters, and a draft of 5.2 meters. Propulsion consists of two shafts driven by four MAN 12V 28/33 DSTC diesel engines, each rated at 7,320 hp.
The planned armament includes MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 2 or 3 anti-ship missiles, or the national MANSUP missile; a 12-cell vertical launcher for the MBDA Sea Ceptor medium-range air defense system with CAMM missiles; a 76 mm/62 Leonardo OTO Melara Super Rapid naval gun; a 30 mm Rheinmetall Sea Snake 30 remote-controlled gun; two remotely operated FN Herstal Sea Defender 12.7 mm machine guns; two six-barrel 7.62 mm M134 machine guns; as well as two triple 324 mm SEA TLS-TLT anti-submarine torpedo launchers.
On board, the ship also features a hangar and flight deck for the permanent operation of an anti-submarine helicopter, either a Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk or a Westland Super Lynx Mk 21B, significantly enhancing its anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance capabilities.
Source and images: Brazilian Navy. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
