On 12 December, the President of the Brazilian Republic, Dilma Rousseff, officially inaugurated the main hall of the submarine construction shipyard, located in Itaguaí in the Bay of Sepetiba. This industrial facility brings together specific resources and tools for the assembly and equipping of Scorpene submarine sections in the frame of the Brazilian Navy submarine programme [see note].
The ceremony took place in the presence of the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, the Brazilian Defence Minister, Celso Amorim, Admiral Julio Soares de Moura Neto of the Brazilian Navy, high representatives and the CEOs of DCNS and Odebrecht, Hervé Guillou and Marcelo Odebrecht.
The responsibilities of DCNS for the construction of this shipyard covered the design, the definition of the functional specifications, technical support for the construction of the shipyard and naval base, worksite management and the reception of the installations and industrial equipment.
The inauguration of this new building marks an important milestone for the programme and illustrates the success of the partnership with Brazil. The function of the shipyard is to assemble the submarine sections built in the Metal Assembly Production Unit by Itaguai Construções Navais (Joint-venture between Odebrecht and DCNS) and integrate equipment and systems.
The inauguration relates to the main building, the shipyard’s largest installation. When it becomes operational, its dimensions and industrial facilities will allow the simultaneous construction of two submarines, thus confirming its large industrial capacity.
Hervé Guillou explains: “The achievement of this milestone demonstrates that Brazil possesses cutting-edge industrial infrastructures allowing it to strengthen the capacities of its Navy. DCNS is proud to work alongside the Brazilian Navy to ensure the success of this vast technology-transfer programme.”
The four Scorpene-type conventional S-BR submarines respond to the specific requirements of the Brazilian Navy. They are perfectly suited to the protection and defence needs of Brazil’s 8,500 kilometres of coastline. The Scorpene submarines are versatile ocean-going submarines designed for all types of missions, including surface-vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, special operations and intelligence gathering.
