Presidents of Brazil and France accompany the launch of “Tonelero” submarine into the sea

On Wednesday, March 27, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and France’s President Emmanuel Macron will attend the baptism and launch into the sea of submarine “Tonelero” (S42), a vessel manufactured entirely in Brazil as part of its Submarine Development Program (Programa de Desenvolvimento de Submarinos/ProSub). The program is the result of the Brazil-France Strategic partnership signed in 2008 with a budget of around BRL 40 billion. The ceremony will be held at the Itaguaí Naval Complex in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian First Lady Janja Lula da Silva will be the godmother at the baptism of the Brazilian Navy's new submarine—the “Amazônia Azul” (the “Blue Amazon”)—which promises to contribute to the defense of the Brazilian coast. The event will mark the completion of the third Conventional Submarine with Diesel-Electric Propulsion (S-BR). Before it, “Humaitá” (S41) and “Riachuelo” (S40) were delivered. There are still plans to deliver another conventional submarine—the “Angostura” (S43)—and a Brazilian submarine with nuclear propulsion: the “Álvaro Alberto”.

Equipped with modern sensors, missiles and torpedoes, the submarines built within the scope of ProSub have a high deterrent capacity, since they are lethal weapons that are difficult to locate when submerged. The possible presence of submarines in a maritime area forces any opposing naval force to gather a great deal of resources and efforts to locate and combat them.

The “Tonelero” project incorporates the modernity of French Scorpène class vessels, and adaptations and additions to meet the specific needs of Brazilian Navy operations. Larger than the French model, the “Tonelero” is more than 71 meters long and has a submerged displacement of 1,870 tons. After being placed in the water, the “Tonelero” will undergo testing to assess stability at sea and navigation and combat systems.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – Structured as a scientific and technological development program, ProSub integrates specialized labor training and incentives to Brazilian industry, since it prioritizes the acquisition of components manufactured in the country. In addition to representing one of the largest strategic programs in Defense, ProSub has a significant impact on the economy, generating more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs, and involving 700 companies.

The program's goal, as well as to manufacture the first conventionally armed submarine with nuclear propulsion, is to build an industrial infrastructure complex and support the operation of submarines—encompassing shipyards, the Naval Base and a Metallic Structure Manufacturing Unit (Unidade de Fabricação de Estruturas Metálicas/UFEM) in the municipality of Itaguaí, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The construction site was inaugurated in February 2018.

Due to the transfer of technology between the countries involved, Brazil will have the capacity to design, build, operate and maintain its own conventional and nuclear-powered submarines. The impact on technology by the development and improvement of innovations on the submarine will leverage not only
Defense, but also national civil sectors in the fields of Science, Technology, and Innovation.