New Delhi: The second of the four Scorpène submarines of the ProSub program was commissioned by the Brazilian Navy at the Itaguaí Naval base on January 12, in presence of José Mucio Monteiro, Brazilian minister of defence and Emmanuel Chiva, French General Delegate for Armaments.
Built entirely in Brazil by Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN), thanks to a Transfer of Technology from Naval Group, the Humaitá successfully completed its sea trials and has now been delivered and entered into service within the Brazilian Navy.
The first submarine of the ProSub program, the Riachuelo, was commissioned by the Brazilian Navy in September 2022. The remaining two submarine of the series, Tonelero and Angostura will respectively be launched in 2024 and 2025.
“Today, with DGA from France, we celebrate the success of our cooperation with ICN and our long-term relation and collaboration with Brazil. The success of this program is collective and aimed at strengthening the Brazilian Navy and industry as well as reinforcing the country’s regional and global influence. We are proud to be part of the ProSub Program with all our partners. Our teams remain committed to keep on meeting the Brazilian navy expectations,” said Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group.
The delivery of the Humaitá reflects the success of the technology transfer achieved by Naval Group with ICN, the group’s joint venture with Novonor, which provides the country with cutting-edge equipment manufactured in Brazil. This event also demonstrates Naval Group’s solid international presence and its ability to develop ambitious technology transfers within the framework of international partnerships.
Within the framework of the French-Brazilian strategic defence cooperation agreement, in 2009 the Brazilian Navy chose Naval Group for its Programa de desenvolvimento de Submarinos, the ProSub program. Brazil decided to reinforce its submarine force with four new conventional submarines (SSK) and the development of an indigenous nuclear-powered submarine (SSN).
Under the ProSub program, the Scorpène® submarines are manufactured and assembled in the shipyard built in Itaguaí by ICN. Naval Group contributed to this program by transferring technology, supplying the submarine design file, the equipment that makes up the submarines and technical assistance. Teams from the ICN shipyard have also been trained in submarine construction techniques in France, as part of a vast training programme for Brazilian welders, formers, pipe fitters and electricians. This training, along with technical assistance, enables ICN to master the entire production process, from sheet metal forming to commissioning and testing of onboard systems.
Many local suppliers were selected and qualified by Naval Group for its supply chain for the ProSub contract and also for other business opportunities. The company’s partners now can have access to new markets by putting forward the know-how and experience acquired through the program. Naval Group thus contributes to the development of a robust Brazilian naval industrial ecosystem. Hundreds of Naval Group employees are also working in the back office on all French sites.
Naval Group also supports the Brazilian Navy in the design and construction of the first Brazilian nuclear-powered submarine and will provide support beyond the construction of the submarines over the entire life cycle of the ships.
Scorpène is a modern, high-performant, and stealthy submarine. Robust and enduring, it’s an ocean-going submarine also designed for shallow waters operations. Multipurpose, it fulfils the entire scope of missions such as Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine Warfare, special operations, and intelligence gathering. Extremely stealthy and fast, it has a level of operating automation that allows a limited number of crew, which reduces its operating costs significantly. Its combat edge is highlighted by the fact that it has 6 weapon launching tubes, 18 weapons (torpedoes, missiles).
Scorpène is equipped with the latest generation of combat system, SUBTICS, which addresses the growing challenges of modern submarines missions in blue and shallow waters in the entire domain of submarine warfare. Highly modular and scalable, SUBTICS can be integrated either on new platforms or as part of modernisation programmes for existing submarines
In addition to these four Scorpene submarines, ten other units designed and adapted by Naval Group for the export market are in operational service or under construction around the world: two for the Chilean Navy, two for the Malaysian Navy and six for the Indian Navy. These successes demonstrate both Naval Group’s ability to supply best-in-class submarines and to transfer technology successfully.
The final configuration of the submarine is adapted to meet the specific needs of navies and incorporate new technologies. For example, the Brazilian Scorpene® will be slightly longer than the conventional model to carry a larger crew and more food and fuel. These modifications will enable it to patrol longer and cover greater distances.
All of the Brazilian Scorpène submarines will be equipped with Naval Group’s new-generation F21 heavy-weight torpedo, for which Brazil is the first international client.
