"Barroso" class light patrol frigate

The Barroso Corvette, built by Rio de Janeiro Naval Shipyard, was intended as the lead of a new batch of corvettes to succeed the “Inhaúma” class. The design is generally the same as “Inhaúma” class, but many improvements were incorporated such as increased length, improved C3 capacity, helicopter capability, enhanced stealth and discretion, and a better seakeeping attributes. Weapons and sensors configuration were changed in comparison to the “Inhaúma” class.

Of national design and manufacture, the corvette is a ship of 103.5 m in length and 2.4 thousand tons (at full load), with autonomy to remain for 30 days on mission. Its maximum rated speed, with a gas turbine, is 30 knots, and its radius of action, with a speed of 12 knots, is 4,000 miles (or 7,200 km). A new, Brazilian-designed small patrol frigate based on the Inhauma class, but considerably improved. It exceeded the expectations and capabilities established in the project, where it corrected the prblems with the Inhaúma class. The Inhaúma, despite being designed as a second-class escort corvette, was gaining weight in the course of time as its development, adding to this the design of its bow with low castle that made that the class had a hydrodynamic performance in very bad seas, where the water intake is accentuated, practically causing the bow to submerge totally, with its repair Vickers Mk8 disappearing on the waves.

The Corvette Barroso, when it began to be built 14 years ago, was a very modern ship, but although it is a new vessel, it does not have the latest technology in shipbuilding and weapon systems and sensors. Its silhouette has become obsolete in relation to the vessels launched and incorporated at the same time, as well as its AA capacity was restricted to its medium Bofors 40 3P cannon and supported by its main Vickers 4.5 "MK8 bow cannon.

To speak of the disregard of the authorities who have governed this country for decades, regarding the lack of investment in the armed forces, is repetitive and tiring, but it is a fact of public knowledge. Additional ships had been planned but the program has been delayed. Despite beginning construction in 1994, the vessel was not launched until 2002 and not formally commission until 2008 (as the "Barroso V34"). The Barroso corvette is derived directly from the Inhaúma corvette, developed at the beginning of the 1980s and with 4 units in service, showed some navigation deficiencies that impeded the planned performance of the ship, especially in rough seas.

The Corvette Barroso has 4.2 meters over hull length and some other changes in the ship's design to enhance its seafaring ability. outwardly, design is conventional, with the strengths and proven design qualities found in other world corvettes. The bow is raised to cut through choppy waters with a deck gun fitted just aft. The superstructure is aft of the deck gun and holds the bridge in a commanding position - identified by the horizontal set row of window panes. Communications and sensor arrays dot the superstructure roof as does a funnel to extract byproducts of the included propulsion system. The stern of the vessel can land a medium-class helicopter such as the Westland Lynx.

Barroso sports a running length of 339 feet, 3 inches (103.4 meters) with a beam measuring 37 feet, 4 inches (11.4 meters) and she draws 17 feet, 4 inches (5.3 meters) of water. Barroso's propulsion is of the CODOG type (combination with diesel engine or gas turbine) considerably more powerful than those of Inhaúma. Although the gas turbine is the same, a General Electric LM-2500 with 27500 hp of power, but the 2 diesel engines model MTU-20 V1163 of muddy are much more powerful, providing a force of 7400 hp each against the 5800 hp that the MTU 16V 596 TB91 engines from Inhaúma can.

With this arrangement, the Barroso can make up to 27-29 knots (50-56 km/h) in ideal conditions, slightly faster than the Inhaumas that reach 27 knots, and presents an operational range of approximately 4,000 nautical miles (7,000 km). The dual-nature approach allows the vessel to utilize its diesels (one per shaft) for cruising while the geared gas turbine is called into play for high speed dashes as needed. She is crewed by a total of 154 personnel, made up of 25 officers and 125 enlisted men.

For anti-submarine warfare (ASW) duty, she fields an EDO 99 C hull-mounted sonar array. The vessel does not feature traditional roll rack depth charges but instead counters submarine (and surface vessel threats) with 2 x triple-tube ARES SLT Mod 400 (324 mm) torpedo launchers for the Mk.46 Mod 5 series torpedo. For surface ship detection, the Barroso makes use of the Terma SCANTER surface-search radar as well as the RAN-20S 2-D search radar - also used in tracking approaching aircraft and incoming wave-top missiles threats. The Furuno FR-8252 navigation radar is used to navigate rocky shorelines. If threats are detected below or above the ship, the Orion RTX-30 fire-control radar and the Saab EOS-400 optronic fire-control system comes into play, directing the proper armament to destroy the threat.

The primary main gun armament is the 4.5 in (113 mm) Vickers Mk.8 auto-self deck gun mounted in a traversing station at the bow. The housing of the gun house is built with glass reinforced plastic and is rounded in its shape. The weapon has a high rate-of-fire of about 25 rounds per minute with a range out to 12 nautical miles (22 km) when using a new high-explosive 45lb single-piece shell projectile. A 40mm Bofors repeating cannon is used for closer-range threats as needed. This weaponry is augmented by the use of French MBDA Exocet anti-ship missile launchers. These missiles measure 3 feet, 7 inches long and have a range of up to 70 to 180 kilometers (43 to 110 miles).

EMGEPRON participated in the management of the integration of the combat systems of Corvette Barroso, built by the Navy Arsenal of Rio de Janeiro - AMRJ. The vessel is designed to defend near-shore and offshore areas, working in conjunction with other surface or airborne units in a multi-threat environment, with an emphasis on employment in escort missions to naval forces and trains in areas where airborne threats , surface or underwater are preponderant.