In the 1980s, the Navy Arsenal of Rio de Janeiro was designated by the Brazilian Navy as the submarine construction site and, in fact, was the target of investment in the training and qualification of its professionals and in the modernization and adaptation of its industrial facilities. The first submarine built entirely in the country was the Tamoio, which went to sea in 1994. In that decade, two other submarines were built locally, the Timbira and the Tapajó. The Brazilian Navy and the Germans then signed, in 1995, contracts for the supply of materials and equipment for the construction of a fifth submarine, the S Tikuna (S-34), incorporating modifications worked on by Brazilian engineers and with several technological innovations, especially in power generation, the firing direction system, and sensors.
