Article Posted on : - Nov 23, 2010

A file photo.

RIO DE JANEIRO (BNS): With an objective to strengthen its naval forces, Brazil is considering an ambitious programme to induct as many as 26 submarines to its Navy’s fleet.

The new fleet of submarines will include six nuclear-powered and 20 conventional subs. While 15 conventional subs will be newly built, the rest five will the upgraded versions of the existing fleet.

The Navy plans to built and induct the submarines over the next three decades, the Latin American news agency MercoPress reported.

“The navy’s three decade procurement plan and its programme to develop submarines estimates the cost of building the first nuclear powered submarine in 2 billion Euros which already have been earmarked,” the news agency said.

Brazil’s first nuclear-powered submarine, being built with technical assistance from France, comes at a higher price as it also involves technology transfer and other capabilities costs.

“However the costs of the following subs to be built in Brazil are estimated by the Brazilian Navy in 550 million US dollars,” the news agency said.

The 20 conventional submarines, to be built in two lots, will include 15 new subs. Four of these new vessels will be modernised versions of the French Scorpene submarines.

In the second batch, Brazil will upgrade its existing fleet of five submarines. Four of them will be the Tapi class based on German technology and the other one will be the Tikuna class, built by the Brazilian Navy.

Brazil, in 2008, had inked a deal worth 6.7 billion Euros with France under which it would get four Scorpene conventional submarines and technical assistance to build its own nuclear-powered submarine.

The Scorpene subs, being built by French shipbuilder DCNS, are scheduled to be delivered to the Navy by 2021.

Brazil would be deploying its submarine fleet primarily for patrolling its territorial waters where huge oil deposits have been discovered in recent times.