Brazilian helicopter carrier Atlântico

NAM Atlântico (A140) (previously PHM Atlântico (A140)) is an amphibious helicopter carrier and current flagship of the Brazilian Navy.^[7] Originally constructed in the United Kingdom for service with the Royal Navy as a landing platform helicopter, she was commissioned on 30 September 1998 as HMS Ocean, serving until being decommissioned on 27 March 2018, and then commissioned into service with Brazil the following June.

NAM Atlântico in 2021
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Ocean
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	11 May 1993
Builder	Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, Kværner (Govan)
Laid down	30 May 1994
Launched	11 October 1995
Sponsored by	Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Commissioned	30 September 1998
Decommissioned	27 March 2018[1]
Refit	Major 2012–2014
Homeport	HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Identification	IMO number: 9079456 MMSI number: 234643000 Callsign: GCOU
Motto	Ex undis surgit victoria (From the waves rises victory)
Honours and awards	Al Faw 2003
Fate	Sold to Brazil[2]
Badge
Brazil
Name	NAM Atlântico
Acquired	Purchased on 19 February 2018, from the Royal Navy
Commissioned	29 June 2018
Homeport	Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro
Identification	IMO number: 9079456 MMSI number: 710509000 Callsign: PWTL Pennant number: A140
Motto	Nosso navio, nosso mar (Our ship, our sea)
Status	Active
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Amphibious Assault Ship
Displacement	21,500 t (21,200 long tons; 23,700 short tons)[3]
Length	203.4 m (667 ft)[4]
Beam	35 m (115 ft)[4]
Draught	6.5 m (21 ft)[4]
Propulsion	2x Crossley Pielstick PC2 Mk-6 MW 12 cylinder.
Speed	10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h) cruise 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) max[5][unreliable source?]
Range	8,000 miles (13,000 km)[6]
Boats & landing craft carried	1 Seaboat (Pacific 22 Mk2) 4 × LCVP Mk5B
Capacity	40 vehicles[4]
Troops	830
Crew	285 + 180 aviation personnel
Sensors and processing systems	Type 997 Artisan radar Type 1008 Navigational Radar 2 × Type 1007 Aircraft Control Radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	UAT Electronic Support Measures DLH decoy Launchers Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD)
Armament	4 × 30mm DS30M Mk2 guns 4 × Miniguns 8 × General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried	Up-to 18 helicopters: EC725 Caracal S-70B Seahawk AS350 Écureuil
Aviation facilities	Large flight deck Hangar deck Helicopter lifts Vehicle deck
Notes	To see troops carried, armament and aircraft carried while in service with the Royal Navy See HMS Ocean

History

In 2017, media outlets began reporting that Brazil was interested in purchasing Ocean as a replacement for the aircraft carrier São Paulo, which was withdrawn from service in 2017 following multiple mechanical failures. The Royal Navy released an asking price of £80.3 million ($105.8 million USD), which the Brazilian Navy called "convenient".^[8] In November 2017, the Brazilian Ministry of Defense began formal negotiations for the acquisition of the ship.^[9]

In December 2017, the Brazilian Navy confirmed the purchase of the ship for £84.6 million, equivalent to R$359.5M and USD $113.2M. Following her decommissioning from Royal Navy service in March 2018, she would undertake a period of maintenance in the United Kingdom and was expected to arrive in Rio de Janeiro by 25 August 2018,^[10] with the intention of being commissioned and fully operational by 2020.^[11][12][13] Brazilian defence officials confirmed the purchase,^[14][2][15] as well as officials from the UK MoD, as of 17 February 2018.^{[16][17][18][19]}

The Brazilian Navy commissioned the multi-purpose helicopter carrier Atlântico (A140) on 29 June in the United Kingdom. The helicopter carrier package for Brazil includes an Artisan 3D search radar, KH1007 surface surveillance radar system, four 30 mm DS30M Mk 2 remote weapon systems and four Mk 5B landing craft. However, the three original 20 mm Mk 15 Block 1B Phalanx close-in weapon systems, the torpedo defence systems and 7.62 mm M134 machine guns were removed from the ship before the transfer to Brazil. The ship displaces 21,578 tonnes, is 203.43 m long and has a range of 8,000 n miles. The ship underwent maintenance work by Babcock and BAE Systems in February.^[20][21]

The ship was scheduled to reach her homeport, Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro (AMRJ), on 25 August, where Atlântico underwent operational sea training under the Royal Navy's Flag Officer Sea Training.^[22][23][24]

On 12 November 2020, Atlântico was redesignated "NAM", for "multipurpose aircraft carrier" (Portuguese: Navio Aeródromo Multipropósito), from "PHM", for "multipurpose helicopter carrier" (Portuguese: Porta-Helicópteros Multipropósito), to reflect her capability to operate with fixed-wing medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles as well as crewed tiltrotor VTOL aircraft.^[7]

In 23 February 2023, the vessel was sent to the port of São Sebastião to provide a field hospital for rescue efforts during the 2023 São Paulo floods and landslides. On board, the vessel carried 28 medics of several specialties including surgeons, dentists and orthopedists and 180 marines who were designated to operate heavy machinery in aid of the search and rescue efforts.^[25]

Gallery

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See also

• List of ships of the Brazilian Navy

References

1. "The Queen visits Plymouth for HMS Ocean's decommissioning ceremony". Plymouth Herald. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
2. "Brazil announces purchase of HMS Ocean for £84 million". UK Defence Journal. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
3. "HMS Ocean". Royal Navy. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
4. The Royal Navy Handbook. 2003. p. 92. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
5. "HMS Ocean". Navy Matters. 7 May 2001. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
6. Burgess, Matt. "A rare glimpse behind the scenes of UK warship HMS Ocean". Wired.
7. "Porta-Helicópteros Atlântico agora é Navio-Aeródromo Multipropósito" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Poder Naval. 26 November 2020.
8. Allison, George (12 April 2017). "Proposed sale price of HMS Ocean to Brazil revealed". UK Defence Journal.
9. "EXCLUSIVO: Defesa autoriza o Comando da Marinha a comprar o porta-helicópteros Ocean – Poder Naval – A informação naval comentada e discutida". Poder Naval – A informação naval comentada e discutida (in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
10. "Porta-helicópteros comprado pela Marinha por R$ 350 milhões chega ao Rio no sábado - Notícias - Cotidiano". Cotidiano (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 23 August 2018.
11. "Brazil hopes to buy, commission UK's HMS Ocean by June 2018 - Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
12. "O Ocean é do Brasil! MB conclui a compra do porta-helicópteros por 84 milhões de libras e dá à Força um novo capitânia - Poder Naval - A informação naval comentada e discutida". 21 December 2017.
13. Defensa.com (22 December 2017). "La Marina de Brasil compra el portaviones HMS Ocean a la Royal Navy británica-noticia defensa.com".
14. Corfield, Gareth (3 January 2018). "Brazil says it has bagged Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean for £84m". The Register. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
15. "Corveta Classe Tamandaré e HMS Ocean para a Marinha do Brasil. (Corvette Class Tamandaré and HMS Ocean for the Brazilian Navy.)". marinha.mil.br. 24 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
16. "MoD sells Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Brazil for £84m". The Daily Telegraph. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
17. "Navy's flagship HMS Ocean sold to Brazil for £84 million". The Herald. Glasgow. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
18. "HMS Ocean sale to Brazil 84m". plymouthherald.co.uk. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
19. "Flagship HMS Ocean sold to Brazil for £84 million". bt.com. 17 February 2018. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
20. "PHM Atlântico: características técnicas e operacionais". naval.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
21. "PHM A-140 Atlântico é armado com canhão Bushmaster MK.44 II de 30 mm". tecnodefesa.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 July 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
22. "Brazil commissions helicopter carrier | Jane's 360". Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
23. "Brazil commissions helicopter carrier". www.janes.com. 29 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
24. "Mostra de Armamento do Porta-Helicópteros Multipropósito Atlântico". www.naval.com.br. 29 June 2018.
25. "Maior navio da Marinha chega a São Sebastião com hospital de campanha para atender vítimas de temporal devastador" (in Portuguese). g1. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.

External links

• HMS Ocean (naval-technology.com)