BRAZILIAN NAVY The ProSub programme achieved a major milestone on 1 September with the commissioning of Riachuelo (S40). The Scorpène submarine is the first of four conventional submarines (SSK), and one nuclear-powered (SSN), being built in Brazil by Itaguaí Construções Navais under a Transfer of Technology licence from the French Naval Group. Humaitá (S41), the second in the series, is undergoing sea trials.
US NAVY Construction of the first Constellation class frigate officially got under way at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin on 31 August. The build stage comes two years after FMM was selected to produce the ships, which are based on the Italian FREMM design. The US Navy plans to procure 20 frigates, the first three of which, Constellation, Chesapeake and Congress, have thus far been ordered. FMM has contract options for seven additional ships.