Barroso-class

The Barroso (V34) is a Brazilian Navy corvette and the lead vessel of its subclass. Named after Admiral Francisco Manoel Barroso da Silva, the ship was ordered in 1993 and constructed by the Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro. The hull was laid down on 21 December 1994, and the vessel was launched on 20 December 2002. The ship entered active service on 19 August 2008.

The design utilizes a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion configuration, employing a gas turbine and diesel engines to power two shafts equipped with controllable pitch propellers. Its electronic and sensor suite includes surface search and navigation radars, a fire control radar, an optronic director, and sonar for underwater detection. Defense systems consist of Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), and decoy launchers. The vessel features a helicopter pad and aviation facilities to support the operation of a Westland Super Lynx Mk.21B.

In September 2015, while transiting to Beirut to replace the frigate União as the flagship of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Maritime Task Force, Barroso was diverted by the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to assist a sinking vessel. The ship subsequently rescued 220 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. In November 2018, the corvette served as the test platform for the first prototype firing of the Mansup anti-ship missile.

International interest in the design resulted in a 2010 announcement regarding a potential sale to Equatorial Guinea, though no further progress was reported by 2014. The Tamandaré-class corvette was later developed as an evolved design based on the Barroso platform.