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Usiminas became the only Brazilian steelmaker selected to supply all the steel for the four Tamandaré Class frigates — Brazil’s largest military naval project in decades, requiring 5,200 tons of special plates capable of resisting the sea and combat impacts
Each of the four Tamandaré Class frigates consumes about 1,300 tons of special flat steel.
Combined, the four vessels will use 5,200 tons of heavy plates and hot-rolled coils — all material coming exclusively from two factories of Usiminas.
The heavy plates are produced in Ipatinga (MG) and the coils in Cubatão (SP).
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The steel must meet international standards for mechanical resistance, weld quality, and support for severe maritime environmental conditions.
Tests at the Usiminas Research and Development Center included mechanical tests, macro and microstructural analyses, hardness, impact, and welded joint tests.
The Brazilian Navy approved the material after a rigorous certification process.
The most advanced frigates ever built in Brazil
The Tamandaré Class Frigate Program (PFCT) is one of the Brazilian Navy’s most strategic projects.
There are four warships designed to modernize the naval fleet with high technological complexity.
Construction takes place at TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul, in Itajaí, Santa Catarina.
The project is managed by EMGEPRON (Naval Projects Management Company) and executed by Águas Azuis.
Águas Azuis is a partnership formed by three giants: thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) from Germany, Embraer, and Atech.
The first frigate — named Tamandaré — was launched in 2024 and delivered to the Navy in March 2025.
The other three are in different stages of construction at the Santa Catarina shipyard.
The steel that needs to withstand the sea and war
Not just any steel is suitable for a warship.
The plates must resist marine corrosion, extreme temperature variations, and impacts.
Usiminas developed a specific manufacturing process to meet the Navy’s requirements.
The heavy plates are the frigate’s skeleton — they form the hull, bulkheads, and protective structures.
Hot-rolled coils complement areas requiring more flexible forming.
The material underwent certification by international naval classification societies.
Sovereignty: the steel is 100% Brazilian
One of the most relevant aspects of the contract is that all the steel is produced on national territory.
In previous projects, Brazil imported part of the material for military naval construction.
With Usiminas as the exclusive supplier, the country demonstrates the capacity to locally produce a critical defense input.
Usiminas generates R$ 7.8 billion with suppliers from Minas Gerais, boosting the production chain in Minas Gerais.
The supply for the frigates reinforces the company’s position as a pillar of the national defense industry.
The partnership with Germany and technology transfer
TKMS, owner of the original frigate project, is one of the largest military naval builders in the world.
The program includes technology transfer to the Brazilian industry.
This means that, in addition to building the ships, Brazil absorbs knowledge for future projects.
The presence of Embraer and Atech in the consortium ensures the participation of national technology in electronic and combat systems.
The goal is for Brazil to be able to design and build ships of this size increasingly independently.
Why Brazil needs these frigates
Brazil has the largest Atlantic coast in the southern hemisphere.
There are more than 7,400 km of coastline and an Exclusive Economic Zone that extends for 3.5 million km².
This area contains pre-salt reserves, vital trade routes, and fishing resources.
The Tamandaré Class frigates were designed to patrol and defend these waters.
Without modern ships, Brazil cannot protect its greatest mineral wealth: offshore oil.
The Navy’s previous frigates have decades of use and have already exceeded their projected lifespan.
What remains unknown
The exact value of the contract between Usiminas and the Águas Azuis consortium has not been publicly disclosed.
The delivery dates for the three remaining frigates also do not have confirmed dates.
The partnership with German TKMS, while bringing technology, also raises questions about dependence on foreign components in other ship systems.
Still, the fact that the steel is 100% national is a milestone.
It is the first time Brazil has built frigates of this level using exclusively steel material produced in the country itself.
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