Tupi

Ulrich Gabler, of the Ingenieurkontor Lübeck(IKL), responsible for the project of Type 209, must not have foreseen the success that its product would reach in the world-wide market of defense. Without a doubt Type 209 is a landmark in the naval project of conventional submarines of the last century. Probably, only the German Type XXI, constructed during World War II, either more significant. However, Type 209 if continuously showed a project advanced, safe and capable to be improved throughout some decades. E comes demonstrating in successive naval exercises, when manned and kept well, to be a deadly enemy even though for the SNA (submarinos nuclear of attack).

The attainment of new submarines was enclosed initially in the Program of Reaparelhamento of the Marinha (RPM), in its Revision of 1979. The studies for the choice of the to be acquired model selected only 03 models technical as modern (Agosta, 209 Type and Saury), being that Type 209/1400 finished being preferred for the its qualities techniques, the technology transfer, that the construction under license submarine it in Brazil would generate, and its package of financing.

In truth three contracts had been signed, two for the purchase of 04 Tupi(IKL 209/1400) and one third contract of assistance technique, that incluía the construction of a shipyard for the production of submarines in the Armory of Navy of Rio De Janeiro, as well as, of the 03 submarines to be constructed in the new shipyard. The first contract was signed in 1982 with the Trust Ferrostaal/Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft(HDW), being initiated then negotiations for the two others, being the last one celebrated in 1985. In this phase the construction of the first unit of the Classroom was initiated, as the picture above.

The first unit of the Tupi class, the S30, was produced in the shipyards of the German trust Howaldtswerke Deustche Werft (HDW) and commissioned in 1989. The others three boats enclosed for the contract - Tamoio, Timbira and Tapajós - had left the Armory of Rio De Janeiro, manufactured for Brazilian specialists. The supply agreement foresees transference integral of the technology.

In 1986, the Brazilian Navy requested from Nuclep the development and fabrication of the pressure hulls for serial production of IKL-1400 submarines. To undertake the task, Nuclep developed a highly sophisticated welding and fabrication process, devices, equipment and prototypes to reach "zero rejection" targets along all of the industrial production. In October 1992, three pressure hulls were shipped from Nuclep's private maritime terminal to the Navy Arsenal, in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of this work, in November of 1993, the "Tamoio", the first submarine made by the Brazilian industry, sailed to sea. It was christened in 1997. This winning partnership placed Brazil in the very select group of nations with the capacity to construct their own submarines.

The Tapuia, sixth submarine of the series, was cancelled. It will be substituted by a more ambitious enterprise, of the SMB-10, produced integrally in Brazil. The following phase, that contemplates the development of a moved model the nuclear propulsion, is foreseen for 2020.

The plans of revitalization of all the class foresee the incorporation of missiles antiship and spear mines. It is in study the job of the naval version of a missile of light cruise, with reach of 300 km Is in development in a military agency of research and also in at least one defense equipment national company.

The contract for the Tupi Class was only the first step inside of a much more aBrazilian Navyitious plan, that involved the qualification so that inside of two decades the Brazilian Navy could, besides producing submarines conventional, to acquire to know to construct its first nuclear submarine of attack . Another important by-product of this program, was to make possible the total repair of conventional submarines in Brazil, with the accomplishment of only possible naval repairs before in the Europe. Recently the submarine Tupi(S-30) passed for the first General PGM (Período of Maintenance), with the transversal cut of the hoof for the exchange of batteries.

The Force of Submarines of the Brazilian Navy comes using of magnificent form the qualities of Project 209, as the fiche technique demonstrates. Type 209 is a deadly and quiet warlike vector for its small displacement. However, in sight of continuous the advance technician in the naval area, the Brazilian Navy already is constructing a successor for this Classroom, the "Improvid Tupi", or the Tupi Classroom, and projecting as a model called SBrazilian Navy-10 with a submerged displacement of 2.500 tons.