Brazilian frigate Defensora (F41)

Defensora (F41) is a Niterói-class frigate of the Brazilian Navy. The Defensora was the second ship of her class ordered by the Brazilian Navy, on 20 September 1970. Defensora was launched on 14 December 1972, and was commissioned on 3 March 1977.^[1]

Defensora
History
Name	Defensora
Namesake	Defensora
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	27 March 1975
Christened	14 December 1972
Commissioned	3 March 1977
Homeport	Rio de Janeiro
Identification	Pennant number: F-41
Motto	Dum defendo, oppugno (As long as I defend, I attack) A Deusa (The Goddess)
Status	Active
General characteristics
Type	Niterói-class frigate
Displacement	3.355 t (3.302 long tons)
Length	129.2 m (423 ft 11 in)
Beam	13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Draught	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	CODOG, two shafts 2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM-3B gas turbines 42,000 kW (56,000 hp) combined 4 × MTU 16V 956 TB91 diesel engines 13,000 kW (17,000 hp) combined
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (maximum) 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (diesels only)
Range	5,300 nmi (9,800 km; 6,100 mi)
Endurance	45 days
Complement	217
Sensors & processing systems	Modernized: Alenia RAN-20S air search radar Terma Scanter surface search radar Orion RTN-30X fire control radar Saab EOS-400 optronic director Krupp Atlas EDO-610E hull mounted sonar SICONTA Mk 2 C3I system
Electronic warfare & decoys	Modernized: Cutlass B1W ESM ET/SQL-1 ECM 12 × 102 mm decoy launchers
Armament	Modernized: 1 × Albatros launcher for 8 Aspide surface-to-air missiles 1 × 114 mm Mark 8 gun 2 × Bofors 40 mm guns 2 × twin launchers for Exocet anti-ship missiles 2 × triple torpedo tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes 1 × double-barrel Bofors Boroc anti-submarine rockets
Aircraft carried	Westland Super Lynx Mk.21B helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helipad and hangar

History

F Defensora was modernized in June 2000, receiving improvements particularly in the sensor and armament systems, returning to active service in August 2003. Afterwards the vessel is proudly nicknamed “The Goddess” for its crew.^[1]

The Navy Arsenal of Rio de Janeiro carried out, on 13 July, the shipment of the last two propulsion engines in the Defensora, submitted to the W6 review, anticipating the goal by 15 days of the predicted. The event is an important milestone in the General Maintenance Period (PMG) of the ship, which, in 2017, was selected as one of the priority projects of the Navy.^[2]