Brazilian frigate União

F União
History
Brazil
Name	União
Namesake	União
Operator	Brazilian Navy
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	14 March 1975
Christened	11 June 1972
Commissioned	12 September 1980
Homeport	Rio de Janeiro
Identification	MMSI number: 710467000 Callsign: PWUN Pennant number: F-45
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Niteroi-class frigate
Displacement	3,200 tons standard, 3,800 tons full load
Length	129.2 m (424 ft)
Beam	13.5 m (44 ft)
Draught	5.5 m (18 ft)
Propulsion	2 shaft CODOG 2 Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines 56,000 hp 4 MTU diesels 18,000 hp
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (22 knots diesels only)
Range	5,300 NM - at 17 knots 4,200 NM - at 19 knots 1,300 NM - at 28 knots
Endurance	45 days
Crew	209
Armament	Missile antiship MM-40 Exocet; Anti-aircraft missile ASPIDE; 1 Vickers gun 4.5 inch Mk 8 (114 mm), (22 km range); 2 BAE Systems Bofors Trinity Mk 3 anti-Aircraft single-gun turrets; 2 × 3 torpedo tubes for Mk-46 torpedoes; double-barrel Bofors Boroc anti-submarine rocket launcher
Aircraft carried	1 Westland Super Lynx Mk.21A (locally designated as AH-11A) or 1 Eurocopter AS-350/355 Squirrel (locally assembled by Helibrás as UH-12/UH-13 'Esquilo')
Aviation facilities	Helipad and hangar

The F União (F-45) is a Niteroi-class frigate of the Brazilian Navy. The União was the sixth ship of her class ordered by the Brazilian Navy, on 20 September 1970. The União was launched on 14 March 1975, and was commissioned on 12 September 1980.

History

In 2003, União underwent the modernization process, which provided the vessel with an increase in its operating life. At the time, weapons and submarine detection systems were replaced by state-of-the-art equipment, in view of the obsolescence of the original equipment.

Since November 2011, União has been the main vessel of the Maritime Task Force (MTF), the maritime unit of UNIFIL operations in the Middle East, leading three ships from Germany, two from Bangladesh, one Greek, one Turkish and one from Indonesia. The Brazilian unit is equipped with a helicopter and has a crew of 243 Brazilian military personnel.

Gallery

• F União Gallery
• 
  União underway on 18 November 2005.
• 
  União entering port on 11 July 2013.

External links

• MarineTraffic