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Brazilian submarine Riachuelo (S40)

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Riachuelo underway
History
Brazil
NameRiachuelo
NamesakeBattle of Riachuelo
Ordered23 December 2008[1][2]
BuilderICN, Madeira Island, Itaguaí
Laid down27 May 2010[2]
Launched14 December 2018[3]
Sponsored byMarcela Temer
Commissioned1 September 2022[4]
HomeportMadeira Island
Identification
StatusIn service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeRiachuelo-class submarine
Displacement1,900 t (1,900 long tons)
Length70.62 m (231 ft 8 in)
Beam6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draft5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 × MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesels 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) each
  • 1 × Jeumont-Schneider EPM Magtronic electric 3,909 hp (2,915 kW)
  • 1 × Shaft
  • Exide Hagen batteries
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Test depth400 m (1,300 ft)
Complement32
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Naval Group SUBTICS combat management system
  • Thales TSM 2233 Eledone hull and flank array passive sonar
  • Thales Safare/S-Cube hull active sonar
  • Thales DR 3000/ITT AR 900 Electronic support measures
  • Safran Series 20 target identification and classification system
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Naval Group Contralto-S decoy launchers
  • CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures
Armament
NotesSources:[5][6][7][8][9]

Riachuelo (S40) is a Brazilian Riachuelo-class submarine built for the Brazilian Navy by DCNS in Cherbourg and ICN in Itaguaí, Brazil.

The Brazilian boats are larger in length, tonnage and cargo capacity compared to the French Scorpène class they are derived from. The Brazilian version are 70.62 m (231.7 ft) and 1,900 tons, compared to the original Scorpènes that are 61.7 m (202 ft) and 1,565 tons.[10]

Program history

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In 2008, Brazil purchased four enlarged Scorpènes for USD 10 billion with a total technology transfer agreement and a second agreement to develop the first Brazilian nuclear-powered submarine, Álvaro Alberto. The hull of Riachuelo was laid down at Cherbourg, France, on 27 May 2010 and it was jumboized at the Brazilian Navy Shipyard in Itaguaí in late 2012.[2]

Riachuelo was launched on 14 December 2018, and began sea trials in September 2019,[11] the Humaitá was launched on 11 December 2020.[12]

Development and design

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The first stage of construction of the submarine took place in France, at the headquarters of DCNS in Cherbourg, with the cutting of the first steel plates of the structure. At this point, technology transfer from French technicians to Brazilians began.[13] In the middle of 2013, internal parts manufactured in France arrived, which were then integrated to the other parts built in Brazil. In September 2015, the first construction stage was completed, with the delivery of the last section of resistant hull.[13]

The initial Navy predictions for the delivery of Riachuelo were for 2015, however, after some postponements, the boat was launched in 2018, in order to start the platform acceptance testing phase, with two years in duration, plus six months of tests of the combat systems, with its incorporation to the operative sector foreseen for the middle of 2021.[14] The commissioning of Riachuelo took place on 1 September 2022.[4]

The other boats of the S-BR class are Humaitá (S41), Tonelero (S42) and Almirante Karam (S43).

Namesake

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The Riachuelo is the seventh boat of the Brazilian Navy to receive this name, in honor of the Battle of Riachuelo, which took place in 1865, in the Paraguayan War.[15]

The others were:

References

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  1. ^ "DECRETO Nº 8.630, DE 30 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2015". Brazil Gov. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Nicolas von Kospot (2 June 2010). "First Steel Cut for Brazilian Submarine Programme". www.defpro.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Brazil launches first of 5 navy attack submarines". EFE. 14 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Submarino "Riachuelo" reforça a soberania do País na Amazônia Azul". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022.
  5. ^ "PROSUB: NUCLEP e ICN avançam na construção do Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 2 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. ^ Luiz Padilha (5 December 2012). "SBr – Submarino 'Riachuelo' (S-40)". Defesa Aérea & Naval. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Programa Nuclear da Marinha" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  9. ^ Joao Paulo Zeitoun Moralez (2 September 2021). "La Marina de Brasil incorpora el primer submarino de la Clase Riachuelo". Pucara Defensa.
  10. ^ "Diferenças entre o submarino Scorpène e o S-BR brasileiro". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Submarino Riachuelo inicia provas de mar" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 25 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Brazil launches first of 5 navy attack submarines". EFE. 14 December 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Marinha do Brasil PROSUB" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Submarino Riachuelo inicia provas de mar" (in Portuguese). Veja. 14 December 2018.
  15. ^ "NAVIOS DE GUERRA BRASILEIROS - 1822 - Hoje" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2020.