The Brazilian Navy training ship U27 Brasil was in Piraeus in November 2023 as part of her annual international schedule that takes her to European and other ports as the final practical part of officers training courses.
On board were 31 officers and 222 enlisted ratings with 181 midshipmen cadets from the Brazilian Naval and Merchant Marine Academies as well as from Bolivia, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Panama and Senegal. The Brazilian cadets step off with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
The 37th Viagem de Instrucão de Guardas-Marinha 2023 (Marine Guards Instruction Trip) started on 12 August in her home port and birthplace of Rio de Janeiro, then to Recife, Cartegena, Baltimore, London, Hamburg, Le Havre, Lisbon, Civitavecchia, Istanbul, Piraeus, Barcelona, Dakar and then home to Maceió.
The vessel has visited Hamburg a record 28 times for a navy ship and is a frequent visitor to Lisbon and London where it berths next to HMS Belfast by the Tower of London.
NE Brasil was one of the last ships built at the Rio de Janeiro Marine Arsenal Yard when named in 1981 and commissioned in 1986 at a cost of $124 million.
Brasil is a modified Niteroi-class frigate that has a variety of training facilities and equipment on board that provide practical experience before the cadet midshipmen enter the navy full time For example there is a tactical training simulator system, combat information centre and a damage control system.
Displacing 3,200 tons and measuring 129m in length, the ship has four MTU main engines producing 13MW that can maintain a speed of 22 knots. This can be increased to 30 knots when the two Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbines are employed. Her range is 9800 kilometres at 17 knots.
Report and photo by John Pagnia
