Niterói-class frigate

The Niterói-class frigates are a class of frigates of the Brazilian Navy.

Defensora in 2023
Class overview
Name	Niterói class, Mk10
Builders	Vosper Thornycroft, Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro
Operators	Brazilian Navy
Succeeded by	Tamandaré-class
Built	1975–1986
Completed	7
Active	6
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	3,355 tons standard 3,707 tons full load
Length	129.2 m (423 ft 11 in)
Beam	13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Draught	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Installed power	Two Rolls-Royce Olympus TM-3B gas turbines (56,000 hp (42,000 kW) combined) Four MTU 16V 956 TB91 diesel engines (18,000 hp (13,000 kW) combined)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas, two shafts
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (maximum) 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (diesels only)
Range	5,300 nautical miles (9,800 km; 6,100 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) 4,200 nautical miles (7,800 km; 4,800 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) 1,300 nautical miles (2,400 km; 1,500 mi) at 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Endurance	45 days
Complement	217
Sensors and processing systems	Before modernization: AWS2 air search radar ZW-06 surface search radar 2 × RTN-10X fire control radar (not in F42/43) EDO-610E hull-mounted sonar EDO-700E variable-depth sonar (not in F42/43) Computer-Aided Action Information System (CAAIS) After modernization: RAN-20S air search radar Terma 'Scanter Mil' surface search radar 2 × RTN-30X fire control radar Saab EOS-400 optronic director upgraded EDO-610E hull mounted sonar SICONTA Mk 2 C3I system
Electronic warfare & decoys	Before modernization: RDL-2/3 ESM Two 12 × 102 mm rocket launchers After modernization: Cutlass B1W ESM ET/SQL-1 ECM Two 12×102 mm rocket launchers
Armament	After modernization: 2 × double launchers for MM-40 Exocet anti-ship missiles 1 × Albatros octuple launcher for Aspide Mod7 anti-aircraft missiles 1 × Vickers 4.5-inch (114 mm) Mk 8 gun 2 × single BAE Systems Bofors Trinity Mk 3 anti-aircraft turrets 2 × triple torpedo tubes for Mk 46 torpedoes Double-barrel Bofors Boroc anti-submarine rocket launcher
Aircraft carried	Westland Super Lynx Mk.21A (locally designated as AH-11A); or Eurocopter AS-350/355 Squirrel (locally assembled by Helibrás as UH-12/UH-13 'Esquilo')
Aviation facilities	Helipad and hangar

History

The Niterói class were designed and built by the British shipyard Vosper Thornycroft (VT) in the 1970s. These frigates were designated the Mk 10 by Vosper Thornycroft and are the largest of a series of ships built by that shipyard for both foreign buyers and the Royal Navy.

All of them were extensively modernized between 1996 and 2005 under the 'ModFrag' program. The projected completion was 2001, but due to lack of funds and sea trials to verify the new software, the entire program had been slipped to 2005.

A total of six ships were built. Two of the anti-submarines (ASW) and both of the general purpose (GP) version were built in England. The remaining two ASW ships were built at the Arsenal da Marinha in Rio de Janeiro with assistance from VT. The ASW ships had an Ikara missile launcher in Y position aft of the flight deck. This was removed as part of the modernisation programme. The GP ships had a second 4.5-inch (114 mm) gun in "Y" position. A seventh ship was built as the navy's main training unit. The ship is identical to the other ships of the class, but is not fitted with weapons or sensors.

From 2025, the class will be gradualy replaced in "first-rank" roles by the newest Tamandaré-class frigates, the survivors will be revitalized and transferred to patrol duties in the fleet.^[1]

Ships

No.	Name	Type[2]	Laid down[2]	Launched[2]	Commissioned[2]	Status
F40	Niterói	ASW	8 June 1972	8 February 1974	20 November 1976	Decommissioned 28 June 2019[3]
F41	Defensora	ASW	14 December 1972	27 March 1975	3 March 1977	In service
F42	Constituição	GP	13 March 1974	15 April 1976	31 March 1978	In service
F43	Liberal	GP	2 May 1975	7 February 1977	18 November 1978	In service
F44	Independência	ASW	11 June 1972	2 September 1974	3 September 1979	In service
F45	União	ASW	11 June 1972	14 March 1975	12 September 1980	In service
U27	Brasil	Training	18 September 1981[4]	2 September 1983[4]	21 August 1986[4]	In service

Gallery

• Niterói-class Frigate Gallery
• 
  Defensora operating with the tanker Almirante Gastão Motta on 18 November 2007.
• 
  União underway on 22 January 2008.
• 
  Constituição on 2 June 2009.
• 
  Brasil under way in 2011.
• 
  F-44 Independência and F-42 Constituição on patrol in 2017.
• 
  União during Aspirantex 2018.
• 
  Liberal during Aspirantex 2018.
• 
  F-45 União at nightfall during Aspirantex 2018.
• 
  Escort to the G-40 Bahia During Aspirantex 2020.
• 
  F-43 Liberal and F-45 União during Aspirantex 2020.
• 
  F-43 Liberal and F-45 União during Aspirantex 2020.
• 
  Liberal conducts drills with the Spanish Navy's Tornado in the Gulf of Guinea, 2023.

See also

• List of naval ship classes in service

References

Citations

1. "Akaer revitalizará consoles do sistema SICONTA MkII Mod. 1 de três fragatas classe Niterói". Poder Naval (in Portuguese). 31 May 2019.
2. Saunders 2002, p. 61.
3. "FOTOS: Mostra de Desarmamento da Fragata Niterói – F40". 28 June 2019.
4. Saunders 2002, p. 70.

Sources

• Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Navy)
• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995
• Cicalesi, J.C. e Del Gaizo, Cesar: La Marina brasiliana oggi, RiD magazine, Chiavari, June 2006, pag. 50–55
• Saunders, Stephen. Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2002. ISBN 0710624328.

External links

• Media related to Niteroi class frigate at Wikimedia Commons