Wikipedia

Riachuelo-class submarine

For other ships with the same name, see Brazilian ship Riachuelo.

The Riachuelo class are a Brazilian class of diesel-electric and nuclear-powered attack submarines developed by the state-owned shipyard Itaguaí Construções Navais, based on the French Scorpène-class as part of the Submarine Development Program.[6][7][8][9][10]

Riachuelo at sea
Class overview
NameRiachuelo class
BuildersItaguaí Construções Navais
Operators Brazilian Navy
Preceded byType 209
Cost
  • US$1 billion per boat (conventional)
  • US$3.8 billion per boat (nuclear)
Built2010–present
In commission2022–present
Planned5 (1 nuclear)
Building2
Completed3
Active2
General characteristics
TypeAttack submarine
Displacement
  • Conventional: 1,900 t (1,900 long tons)
  • Nuclear: 6,000 t (5,900 long tons)
Length
  • Conventional: 70.62 m (231 ft 8 in)
  • Nuclear: 100 m (328 ft 1 in)
Beam
  • Conventional: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
  • Nuclear: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • Conventional:
    • 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
  • Nuclear:
    • 1 × Pressurized water reactor, 48 MW (64,000 hp), LEU 20%
    • 1 × Nuclear turbo-electric engine
    • 1 × Shaft
Speed
  • Conventional: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
  • Nuclear: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Test depth400 m (1,300 ft)
Complement
  • Conventional: 32
  • Nuclear: 100
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:[1][2][3][4][5]

Development

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In 2008, the Presidents of Brazil and France, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Nicolas Sarkozy, signed a strategic partnership to the construction of four conventionally-powered submarines, and the support for the development of the first Brazilian nuclear submarine, in a program called PROSUB.[11][7]

The project was initiated in 2010 with the Madeira Island base in Rio de Janeiro as the submarine development and manufacturing point. Between 2010 and 2012, a group of 31 engineers, 25 officers and 6 civil employees, received theoretical training by the DCNS in Cherbourg, France. In 2018, more than 400 Brazilian engineers worked only on the nuclear submarine project staff, originally formed by the group that received training in France.[7][12] The first stage of construction of the conventionally-powered Riachuelo took place in France, with the cutting of the first steel plates of the structure. At this point, technology transfer from French technicians to Brazilians began.[13][14]

The conventional 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 ft 8 in) and 1,900 tons, compared to the original Scorpènes that are 61.7 m (202 ft 5 in) and 1,565 tons.[15]

Nuclear submarine

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As part of the program, a fifth submarine, named Álvaro Alberto, will be powered by nuclear propulsion. This unit has many similarities to its diesel powered predecessors of the Riachuelo class. The first Brazilian nuclear submarine will have a beam of 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) to accommodate the pressurized water nuclear reactor (PWR).[16] Its 100 m (330 ft) length and 6,000-ton displacement will be propelled by a 48 MW (64,000 hp) fully-electric propulsion system.[17]

The advantages of an SSN over a conventionally powered SSK are much longer endurance (a nuclear submarine can stay submerged for months and does not need refueling), and higher speed. Furthermore, nuclear propulsion does not cause carbon dioxide emissions and once the vessel is completed no fuel imports are needed. Brazil – while not a major producer of uranium – has large resources of thorium which could in the future provide a domestic source of energy. The use of thorium in a pressurized water reactor – in fact one derived from a naval reactor – has been successfully demonstrated at shippingport nuclear power plant in the 1970s.[18]

Boats

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The names of the conventional boats were selected to represent key Imperial Brazilian Navy's military operations during the Paraguayan War and the Platine War, and former Admiral Alfredo Karam. The nuclear boat honors the former Vice Admiral and scientist Álvaro Alberto da Motta e Silva.

Name Hull number Launched Commissioned Badge
Conventional
Riachuelo S40 14 December 2018[19] 1 September 2022[20]  
Humaitá S41 11 December 2020[21] 12 January 2024[22]  
Tonelero S42 27 March 2024[23] 2025 (expected)[24]
Almirante Karam (ex-Angostura) S43 2025 (expected)[25]
Nuclear
Álvaro Alberto SN10 2029 (expected)[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "PROSUB: NUCLEP e ICN avançam na construção do Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 2 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  3. ^ Luiz Padilha (5 December 2012). "SBr – Submarino 'Riachuelo' (S-40)". Defesa Aérea & Naval. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Programa Nuclear da Marinha" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  5. ^ Joao Paulo Zeitoun Moralez (2 September 2021). "La Marina de Brasil incorpora el primer submarino de la Clase Riachuelo". Pucara Defensa.
  6. ^ "Itaguaí Construções Navais comemora dez anos de atividades" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "O Prosub e o submarino nuclear brasileiro SN-BR" [The PROSUB and the Brazilian nuclear submarine SN-BR]. Poder Naval. 20 February 2018.
  8. ^ "DECRETO Nº 8.630, DE 30 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2015". Brazil Gov. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Submarino "Riachuelo" reforça a soberania do País na Amazônia Azul". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Base de submarino nuclear começará a ser construída em fevereiro" (in Portuguese). Terra. 30 January 2010.
  12. ^ "O Prosub" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Marinha do Brasil PROSUB" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  14. ^ "NUCLEP na Cerimônia de Integração dos Submarinos Classe Riachuelo" (in Portuguese). 20 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Diferenças entre o submarino Scorpène e o S-BR brasileiro". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Programa Nuclear da Marinha" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro Alvaro Alberto (SN 10)" (in Portuguese). Defesa Aérea & Naval. 7 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Shippingport operations with the Light Water Breeder Reactor core. (LWBR Development Program)". U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information. 1 March 1986.
  19. ^ "Brazil launches first of 5 navy attack submarines". EFE. 14 December 2018.
  20. ^ "Submarino "Riachuelo" reforça a soberania do País na Amazônia Azul". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Bolsonaro encabeza la botadura de otro submarino construido por Brasil y Francia". EFE. 11 December 2020.
  22. ^ "VÍDEO: Cerimônia de Mostra de Armamento do Submarino 'Humaitá' – S41" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Tonelero: saiba como é o submarino lançado por Lula e Macron no RJ". G1. 27 March 2024.
  24. ^ "El nuevo submarino "Tonelero" de la Marina de Brasil completó sus primeras pruebas de navegación e inmersión estática". Zona Militar (in Spanish). 29 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Brasil negocia com França acordo para combustível nuclear de submarino, diz Itamaraty". Folha de S.Paulo. 22 March 2024.
  26. ^ "PROSUB". Marinha do Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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