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Brazilian Navy Showcases New Tamandaré Frigate Alongside Veteran União, Humaitá Submarine, and AH-11B Helicopters in Major Exercise in Argentina.
On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the Brazilian Navy commenced a significant participation in the combined exercise FRATERNO XXXIX in Argentina, bringing together several naval assets that represent markedly different eras of the Brazilian Fleet. The deployment includes the Tamandaré (F200) and União (F45) frigates, the Humaitá (S41) submarine, the Guillobel (K120) Submarine Rescue Ship, and two AH-11B helicopters.
Activities are scheduled to continue until August 24, using Puerto Belgrano and Mar del Plata as support points, as well as the maritime areas between the two bases. Argentine Decree 717/2026, published on August 6, authorized the entry of Brazilian personnel and assets and confirmed that the goals of FRATERNO are to enhance interoperability and joint training in naval, air-naval, and amphibious operations.
Brazilian Navy Showcases Fleet Renewal on an International Stage
The Brazilian formation attracts attention as it combines, within the same exercise, a Niterói-class frigate and the first vessel of the new Tamandaré class.
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The União (F45) belongs to a generation of escorts built since the 1970s and has undergone subsequent modernization. The Brazilian Navy still officially classifies União among the operational Niterói-class vessels.
At the other end is the Tamandaré (F200), which was commissioned into the Fleet on April 24, 2026. The incorporation of this vessel into active service marked a new phase in the program aimed at renewing the naval surface assets.
The Argentine exercise thus allows the Brazilian Navy to employ both a veteran escort and the first model of the new generation that will progressively take on significant portions of the missions currently conducted by older frigates.
Tamandaré Brings New Sensors and Armaments for Training
The Tamandaré Frigate is designed to conduct surface warfare, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime interdiction missions. The Navy classifies this class as central to the modernization process of Brazilian naval power.
In the formation presented for FRATERNO XXXIX, some of the main Brazilian assets include:
- two AH-11B Super Lynx helicopters, forming the naval aviation component;
- Tamandaré Frigate (F200), representing the new generation of escorts;
- União Frigate (F45), a part of the Niterói class;
- Guillobel Submarine Rescue Ship (K120), dedicated to supporting submarine operations;
- Humaitá Submarine (S41), the second conventional submarine delivered by the PROSUB program.
This diversity is significant because it allows for the development of scenarios in which surface ships, aircraft, and submarines must exchange information and execute coordinated procedures, one of the primary goals of combined exercises of this nature.
Submarine Humaitá Puts Anti-Submarine Warfare at the Center of FRATERNO
One of the most significant aspects of the 2026 edition is the presence of the Humaitá. The submarine was delivered to the operational sector of the Navy in January 2024 as the second conventional unit of the Submarine Development Program (PROSUB) and uses diesel-electric propulsion.
Its presence directly meets a training requirement of the Argentine Navy. In the decree that authorized the exercise, the Argentine government emphasized the training of units from its Fleet in anti-submarine warfare and classified the planned activities as operations of high tactical and operational complexity.
In this type of exercise, the submarine can assume the role of a simulated threat while surface units and naval aviation carry out location and tracking procedures.
For the crew of the Humaitá, the challenge operates in reverse: utilizing the submarine’s characteristics and the underwater environment to avoid detection while a foreign force practices procedures aimed specifically at locating it.
Guillobel Adds Submarine Emergency Response Capability
The presence of the Humaitá is accompanied by the Submarine Rescue Ship Guillobel, expanding the exercise beyond the purely tactical employment of submarines.
The Guillobel was incorporated into the Navy in 2020 and has equipment designated for diving operations and rescuing submarines and their crews. The force also employs the ship in support of exercises and activities related to underwater safety.
This combination creates a particularly relevant structure for Brazilian training: while the Humaitá represents combat capability below the surface, the Guillobel is linked to support and response in emergency situations.
This enhances the operational value of the Brazilian Navy’s participation, as it allows for the development of knowledge related both to the deployment of the submarine and the safety necessary to keep this type of vessel operational.
AH-11B Helicopters Extend the Range of the Frigates
The deployment also gains an air component with two AH-11B helicopters from the 1st Helicopter Squadron for Reconnaissance and Attack.
The aircraft underwent a modernization process that included CTS-800-4N engines, a digital cockpit compatible with night vision goggles, and upgrades to tactical, navigation, and electronic warfare systems. The Navy has already described the AH-11B as an integral part of its surface ships’ weapon systems.
In a naval scenario, embarked helicopters allow for extended observation capabilities of the ships and participation in missions related to surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.
The presence of these aircraft in FRATERNO XXXIX thus adds another level of integration among the different components sent by Brazil.
Exercise between Brazil and Argentina started in 1978
Despite the arrival of new equipment, the cooperation underpinning FRATERNO is longstanding. According to Decree 717/2026, Brazil and Argentina have conducted the exercise annually since 1978. The aim is to enhance the capacity of both Navies to operate together and to harmonize planning procedures and operational execution.
In this edition, the maneuvers are taking place within Argentina’s Exclusive Economic Zone and in areas related to the Puerto Belgrano and Mar del Plata bases. The Argentine document establishes the operational period from August 13 to 24, although authorization for Brazilian units to enter the territory and waters of the country began on August 10.
More than merely gathering ships for maneuvers in the South Atlantic, the exercise provides a distinct snapshot of the current Brazilian Navy.
The Union represents a class that has sustained an important part of the Escort Force’s capacity for decades. The Tamandaré introduces the generation created to modernize this core. The Humaitá showcases the results already incorporated from PROSUB, while the Guillobel adds the necessary infrastructure for the safety of underwater operations.
The AH-11B helicopters complete this picture with the naval aviation dimension. Therefore, FRATERNO XXXIX takes on special significance in 2026.
While maintaining a cooperation that began almost five decades ago with Argentina, the Brazilian Navy uses the exercise to showcase its new generation of vessels in an international training environment, alongside veteran units that remain essential to the operational capability of the Fleet.
