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In a military technology initiative, the Brazilian government acquires a heavy frigate from India and a powerful Brahmos missile, revolutionizing national defense.
In a strategic move to strengthen defense ties, the Indian government has reportedly offered the Brazilian Navy its most advanced heavy frigate, the Nilgiri P-17A. The agreement includes the transfer of military technology for construction on Brazilian soil, in addition to the Stealth technology and the powerful BrahMos missile system. This offer represents a significant opportunity for Brazil to modernize its naval fleet with cutting-edge equipment, strengthening its position on the global military stage. In this article, understand the impact of this proposal and how the partnership between Brazil and India can transform national maritime defense.
Understand the difference between India's heavy frigate for military technology transfer
India's offer of a heavy frigate and BrahMos missile comes at a time when the Ministry of Defense of Brazil is in the initial phase of negotiations to acquire a second batch of four to six ships of the Tamandaré light frigates, the first batch of four ships of which are already being built in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, by German shipyard Thyssenkrupp.
After the construction of the second batch, the acquisition of a third batch is also expected to provide approximately 15 new and modern surface warships in our fleet, which is the number that the Brazilian Navy considers ideal to equip a squadron.
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While we only have one based in Rio de Janeiro, if the plan to activate a second squadron on the north and northeast coast is carried out in the future, 15 more surface warships would be needed, according to old projections.
The Tamandaré frigates, although very modern and well armed, are a light class of frigates, displacing approximately 3.500 tons, while India's heavy frigate, in addition to stealth technology, is a class of heavy frigates being almost twice the size of the Tamandaré frigates, displacing 6670 tons.
Brazil may also manufacture India's heavy frigate
This large difference in size gives India's frigates, used for the transfer of military technology between countries, a greater capacity to transport missiles and, above all, autonomy, which is very important for patrolling the exclusive economic zone of a country like Brazil, which has an area of 3,6 million km² of the so-called Blue Amazon, the eleventh largest EEZ in the world.
In order to compete with the German Thyssenkrupp, which already has a shipyard in Brazil manufacturing the Tamandaré frigates, Mazagon DOC Limited (MDL), the Indian State Shipyard responsible for the heavy frigate in India, has reportedly offered to transfer military technology to Brazil, allowing our country to also manufacture these advanced warships locally.
It is still unclear whether MDL would build a shipyard in Brazil or whether it would do as Thyssenkrupp did, which acquired a private shipyard that was already ready and in operation.
As this is an Indian state-owned shipyard and the deal is being handled from government to government, the possibility of the CDM technically supporting the Brazilian state-owned shipyards ICN located in Itaguaí, State of Rio de Janeiro or the Rio de Janeiro war arsenal in the capital so that they can produce the large Indian warships is not ruled out.
India offers powerful Brahmos missile
The offer of the heavy frigate from India would have come due to the interest of the Brazilian Ministry of Defense in the powerful BrahMos missile, the latest version of which would have a range of 900 km, and there has even been talk of the interest of the Brazilian Armed Forces in versions of the BrahMos missile both to equip the future Brazilian nuclear submarine and to equip the FAB Gripen Fighters and even in a coastal artillery version for the Brazilian army.
If the Navy chooses to acquire a batch of frigates, the advantages would be the creation of new qualified jobs in Brazil, the absorption of new cutting-edge military technologies, a reduced dependence on military technology of NATO origin, seeking a balance between suppliers of war material and those outside NATO, and also the inclusion of a larger warship and, therefore, with more autonomy to patrol our gigantic blue Amazon.
