Riachuelo-class submarine

For other ships with the same name, see Brazilian ship Riachuelo.
Riachuelo at sea
Class overview
NameRiachuelo class
BuildersItaguaí Construções Navais
Operators Brazilian Navy
Cost
  • US$ 1 billion per boat (conventional)[1][2]
  • US$ 7 billion per boat (nuclear)[3]
Built2010–present
In commission2022–present
Planned5 (1 nuclear)
Building2
Completed3
Active2
General characteristics
TypeAttack submarine
Displacement
  • Conventional: 1,900 t (1,900 long tons)[4]
  • Nuclear: 6,000 t (5,900 long tons)[5]
Length
  • Conventional: 70.62 m (231 ft 8 in)[4]
  • Nuclear: 100 m (328 ft 1 in)[5]
Beam
  • Conventional: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)[4]
  • Nuclear: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)[5]
Draft5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)[4]
Propulsion
  • Conventional:
    • 4 × MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesels[6]
    • 1 × Jeumont-Schneider EPM Magtronic electric[6]
    • 3,909 hp (2,915 kW)[6]
    • 1 x shaft[6]
  • Nuclear:
    • 1 × Pressurized water reactor, 48 MW (64,000 hp),[7] LEU 20%[8]
    • 1 × Nuclear turbo-electric engine
Speed
  • Conventional: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)[6]
  • Nuclear: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[13]
EnduranceConventional: 70 days[10]
Test depth400 m (1,300 ft)[11]
Complement
  • Conventional: 32[6]
  • Nuclear: 100[9]
Sensors and
processing systems		DCNS Submarine Tactical Information and Command System[6]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament

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 (PROSUB), a naval modernization plan of the Brazilian Armed Forces.[14][15]

Program history[edit]

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.[16][15]

Development and design[edit]

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.[15][17] 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.[18]

Characteristics[edit]

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.[19]

Nuclear submarine[edit]

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).[20] 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.[7]

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.[21][22][23]

Units[edit]

Riachuello at sea

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

Name Hull number First steel cut Launched Commissioned Homeport
Conventional
Riachuelo S40 27 May 2010[2] 14 December 2018[24] 1 September 2022[25] Madeira Island, Itaguaí
Humaitá S41 9 September 2013[26] 11 December 2020[27] 12 January 2024[28] Madeira Island, Itaguaí
Tonelero S42 13 January 2015[29] 27 March 2024[30] TBD Madeira Island, Itaguaí
Angostura S43 Late 2025 (expected)[31] TBD Madeira Island, Itaguaí
Nuclear
Álvaro Alberto SN10 2029-2033 (expected)[32] TBD Madeira Island, Itaguaí

Gallery[edit]

  • Riachuelo
    Riachuelo
  • Humaitá
    Humaitá
  • Tonelero
    Tonelero
  • Álvaro Alberto
    Álvaro Alberto

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "DECRETO Nº 8.630, DE 30 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2015". Brazil Gov. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ "Atrasado pela crise, projeto do submarino nuclear já recebeu R$ 21 bilhões" (in Portuguese). Gazeta do Povo. 8 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Submarino "Riachuelo" reforça a soberania do País na Amazônia Azul". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "PROSUB: NUCLEP e ICN avançam na construção do Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 2 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Luiz Padilha (5 December 2012). "SBr – Submarino 'Riachuelo' (S-40)". Defesa Aérea & Naval. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro Alvaro Alberto (SN 10)" (in Portuguese). Defesa Aérea & Naval. 7 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Convênio busca locais para a instalação de novas usinas nucleares no Brasil". CNN Brazil (in Portuguese). 15 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Programa Nuclear da Marinha" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Submarinos (Classe Riachuelo)". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 5 September 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  11. ^ Beatriz Freitas Pereira (3 December 2020). "S-41 Humaitá pronto para ser lançado". Defesanet. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  12. ^ Joao Paulo Zeitoun Moralez (2 September 2021). "La Marina de Brasil incorpora el primer submarino de la Clase Riachuelo". Pucara Defensa.
  13. ^ "Submarino Nuclear Brasileiro" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Itaguaí Construções Navais comemora dez anos de atividades" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Base de submarino nuclear começará a ser construída em fevereiro" (in Portuguese). Terra. 30 January 2010.
  17. ^ "O Prosub" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Marinha do Brasil PROSUB" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Diferenças entre o submarino Scorpène e o S-BR brasileiro". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Programa Nuclear da Marinha" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  21. ^ https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5914091
  22. ^ https://inldigitallibrary.inl.gov/sites/sti/sti/2664750.pdf
  23. ^ https://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa1600/pa1658/data/pa1658data.pdf
  24. ^ "Brazil launches first of 5 navy attack submarines". EFE. 14 December 2018.
  25. ^ "Submarino "Riachuelo" reforça a soberania do País na Amazônia Azul". Brazilian Navy (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022.
  26. ^ "Cortada a primeira chapa do segundo submarino do PROSUB, o futuro 'Humaitá'" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 9 September 2013.
  27. ^ "Bolsonaro encabeza la botadura de otro submarino construido por Brasil y Francia". EFE. 11 December 2020.
  28. ^ "VÍDEO: Cerimônia de Mostra de Armamento do Submarino 'Humaitá' – S41" (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Nuclep entrega nova seção do Submarino Tonelero". ABINDE. 28 June 2017.
  30. ^ "Tonelero: saiba como é o submarino lançado por Lula e Macron no RJ". G1. 27 March 2024.
  31. ^ "Brasil negocia com França acordo para combustível nuclear de submarino, diz Itamaraty". Folha de S.Paulo. 22 March 2024.
  32. ^ "PROSUB". Marinha do Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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