With the CCT Program, the Brazilian Navy will expand and modernize its fleet. With four corvettes scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2028, the Navy will now have new Escort Ships to counter possible threats, ensure the protection of maritime traffic, and control the Brazilian jurisdictional waters, the so-called Blue Amazon, which totals over 4.5
million km². The escort ships will also play an important role in peace and humanitarian aid missions, in contribution to the Brazilian Diplomacy.
The Águas Azuis Consortium presented to the Brazilian Navy a proposal based on the concept of the MEKO® Class, a world reference through proven solutions in shipbuilding. Its modular design facilitates local integration and transfer of technology, helping to reduce acquisition, maintenance and modernization costs. Combining state-of-the-art technology, innovation and robust combat capabilities, the MEKO® Class is a true blue water vessel. These vessels have exceptional qualities of autonomy and robustness. As a result, several Navies from all over the world have a flexible, versatile combat platform and a general
naval environment for diversified mission profiles.
Since 1982, 82 MEKO® Class corvettes and frigates have been delivered to Marines from 14 different nations, 37 of which were produced outside Germany and all still in full operation – offering a life cycle of more than 40 years. This class combines the benefits of five generations of ships thanks to its design iteration, whereby the best design characteristics of each vessel evolve into the next, ensuring that the new generations have solid, proven maturity, technology, materials and standards.
The Brazilian Navy’s future corvettes have a total displacement of 3,455 tons, with a length of 107.2 m, width of 15.95 m and draft of 5.2 m. The two-shaft propulsion system will consist in four diesel engines MAN 12V 28/33 DSTC, electric power provided with four Caterpillar C32 diesel generators. The maximum speed of the design is 28 knots, economic – 14 knots. Weapons suite and sensor systems to be fitted on the class are presented in the images above.
The Brazilian Navy started the tender process in January 2013. Initially, 21 companies and consortium replied ot the tender, but in December 2017, after studying each proposals, only four were down-selected for the final stage of the competition :
– Águas Azuis (led by Germany’s TKMS and the MEKO A100 design, which won in the end).
– Villlegagnon (led by France’s Naval Group with the Gowind design).
– Italy’s Fincantieri SpA with a corvette based on a design already selected by Qatar.
– Damen-Saab Tamandaré (led by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding with the SIGMA design).
