Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended a ceremony on March 27 in the Itaguai shipyard near Rio de Janeiro to launch the Tonelero, the third Scorpène-class diesel-powered submarine, built by the Brazilian Navy to the design of French shipbuilder Naval Group.
In addition to the diesel submarines, Brazil plans to build its first nuclear-powered submarine, the Alvaro Alberto, which has experienced significant delays, primarily due to budget constraints and hesitations from its French collaborators about nuclear proliferation.
The Brazilian government said its submarine fleet is needed to defend the country's nearly patrol the country’s 3.5 million sq km offshore waters containing vast oil and gas reserves.
