According to a press release published by MBDA on June 17, 2021, the firm has been awarded a contract to equip the Brazilian Navy’s new Tamandaré-class frigates with the Sea Ceptor air defence missile system.
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Artist rendering of the future Tamandaré-class frigates based on Meko A-100 class (Picture source: TKMS)
Sea Ceptor is a smart weapon control system (WCS) that together with the fully-active Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) provides comprehensive self-defence and local area air defence (LAAD). This will enable Brazil’s Tamandaré-class frigates to protect themselves, consorts and fixed infrastructure against the full range of threat types at sea or in harbour, and in the most stressing operational scenarios.
Sea Ceptor is in operational service with the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, and has been selected for the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates. Brazil joins Chile, New Zealand and Canada in a growing list of international Sea Ceptor users. The CAMM missile has also been delivered to the British Army in the Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) role.
The Tamandaré class is a new class of future general purpose frigates for the Brazilian Navy, based on the MEKO family of ships. The project is being developed by the Ministry of Defence and the Águas Azuis consortium, composed of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Embraer Defense & Security. The construction of the four planned frigates will begin in 2021 and are scheduled to be delivered between 2025 and 2028.
The Tamandaré-class frigate will be armed by OTO Melara 76 mm main gun, a Rheinmetall Sea Snake 30mm machine gun, two .50 machine guns, two triple Mark 46 anti-submarine torpedo launchers and two twin anti-ship missile launchers for MANSUP missile.
The frigates will be powered by diesel engines and will have a hangar capable of operating an SH-60 Seahawk, Super Lynx Mk.21B or Eurocopter EC725.
The Rheinmetall Sea Snake 30mm a versatile revolver gun designed specifically for maritime applications.
