New Brazilian submarine is named after the vessel that sank in Guanabara Bay on Christmas 2000; see the story | Rio de Janeiro

The submarine Tonelero (S42) will be launched into the sea this Wednesday (27) in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro. It is one of four powered by diesel-electric propulsion planned in the Submarine Development Program (Prosub).

The submarine is the result of a partnership between Brazil and France. For this reason, in addition to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, French President Emmanuel Macron is taking part in the ceremony. See technical details of the submarine below.

The name chosen by the Navy, however, brings conflicting memories to Brazilian naval history. While mentioning the main naval action of the Brazilian Imperial Navy in the Silver War (1851-1852), also known as the War against Oribe and Rosas, O Tonnero it was also the name of a Brazilian submarine that sank in Guanabara Bay almost 24 years ago.

It was on the night of December 24, 2000 that one of the largest submarines in the Brazilian fleet succumbed and ended up at the bottom of Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro. According to the Navy, the Tonelero (S21) was docked for repairs and the sinking occurred after a defect in the hydraulic system valves, which caused the vessel to flood. The nine crew tried, but were unable to prevent the flooding and abandoned the Tonelero without injuries.

Inside the vessel that ended up at the bottom of the bay four torpedoes remained deactivated and did not pose any risk of explosion.

Used to train commanders, the first Tonelero was diesel-electric propelled, had capacity for 80 people and carried up to 22 torpedoes. British-made, it was incorporated into the Brazilian Navy in 1977.

After 10 days, the vessel was finally removed from the bottom of the bay. The estimated loss at the time was R$300 million.

See, in the video below, RJTV’s report on the sinking:

Archive: The day a submarine sank in Guanabara Bay

“The Tonelero project incorporates the modernity of French Scorpène class vessels, with adaptations and additions to meet the specific needs of Brazilian Navy operations. Larger than the French model, the Tonelero is more than 71 meters long and has a submerged displacement of 1,870 tons. After being placed in the water, it will begin the testing process to evaluate the stability conditions at sea and the navigation and combat systems”, says the Navy.

With 71.62 meters of lenght, 6.2m in diameter and 15m in height, the Tonelero is the fifth submarine in the Brazilian fleet and the third with diesel-electric propulsion built entirely in Brazil.

The S42 has the capacity to move 1,870 tons and can be in operation for up to 70 days. The submarine was built to overcome a depth of 250 meters and reach a maximum speed of 37km/h.

Inside, the Tonelero can transport up to 35 people. Its current crew includes 27 enlisted personnel and eight Navy officers. The submarine has two hatches and it is divided into 17 main compartments.