Latin America’s First Nuclear Submarine Slips to 2038 as Money Runs Short
Brazil wants to join the six nations running nuclear-powered submarines. Its first boat is now due in 2038, 13 years late, as defence money goes to payroll. The post Latin America’s First Nuclear Submarine Slips to 2038 as Money Runs Short appeared first on The Rio Times .
Brazil is planning to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine, the Álvaro Alberto, in 2038, a time frame that has been pushed back four years from the initial 2034 estimate. This submarine, designed to patrol Brazil's "Blue Amazon" sea area, would be the first of its kind in Latin America. Though Brazil has maintained a policy of no nuclear weapons since the 1990s, the submarine would be powered by a reactor.
This move toward nuclear-powered submarines follows similar initiatives by Australia through the AUKUS pact and South Korea. The Álvaro Alberto is expected to be about 100 meters long and weigh 6,000 tonnes, with a 48-megawatt pressurised-water reactor. The submarine's construction is primarily being handled by NUCLEP, a state-owned heavy engineering firm, and Itaguaí Construções Navais, a shipbuilder.
The submarine's delay could impact Brazil's energy security, its domestic arms industry, and its standing among naval powers. The project, known as PROSUB, has been in development since 2008, with France initially agreeing to transfer design and construction know-how for four conventional boats. Brazil has since built on this partnership to develop its own nuclear-powered submarine.
Written by urgent.news from The Rio Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
