12 Agosto 2025
On Tuesday, August 12, the sea acceptance trials of the frigate Tamandaré – F200, the first vessel of the Tamandaré-class Frigate Program (PFCT), officially began.
The F200 departed from TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul, in Itajaí, at around 2:30 p.m., with approximately 130 military personnel and civilians on board. In this first phase of the trials, the vessel is expected to sail along the coast of Santa Catarina in order to assess the performance and integration of the propulsion, power generation, automation, and auxiliary systems, as well as to evaluate the ship’s performance and seaworthiness in open waters.
The trials will also test the electrical panels, alarm and safety systems under specific load, sea, and wind conditions, in order to verify the vessel’s performance requirements. At the end of the trials, the ship will return to the shipyard, where technical and operational training of the 112 Brazilian Navy personnel assigned as the Tamandaré’s crew will continue, ensuring they are fully prepared to operate the frigate upon its delivery to the Navy, scheduled for December 2025.
About the Tamandaré-class Frigate Program (PFCT)
The PFCT is a program for the acquisition and construction of Tamandaré-class frigates, developed by the Brazilian Navy in partnership with the Special Purpose Entity Águas Azuis, formed by TKMS, Embraer, and Atech, and managed by the Naval Projects Management Company (Emgepron). The contract was signed in March 2020. The PFCT is part of the Federal Government’s New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC), under the innovation axis for the defense industry, and Mission No. 6: “Technologies of Interest for National Sovereignty and Defense” of the Nova Indústria Brasil (NIB) policy.
The program addresses the need to modernize the Brazilian Fleet. The FCTs are highly complex technological vessels, with considerable combat capability, able to operate in all warfare domains: surface, air, and submarine. With the mission of strengthening Brazil’s defense capacity through the monitoring and protection of the 5.7 million km² Blue Amazon, the Tamandaré-class frigates will be essential for maritime area control, the defense of Brazil’s oceanic islands, the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, and the safeguarding of maritime communication lines.
The program directly involves 2,000 professionals in construction, with around 6,000 indirect jobs and about 15,000 induced jobs, totaling 23,000 jobs generated.
Technical Specifications of the Tamandaré Frigate
Length: 107.2 m
Beam: 15.95 m
Draft: 5.3 m
Height: 20.2 m
Displacement: 3,455 tons
Maximum Speed: 25 knots (47 km/h)
Cruising Speed: 14 knots (26 km/h)
Endurance: 28 days
