Brazilian frigate União

F União (F-45) is a Niterói-class frigate of the Brazilian Navy. The União was the sixth ship of her class ordered by the Brazilian Navy, on 20 September 1970. The União was launched on 14 March 1975, and was commissioned on 12 September 1980.

History
In 2003, União underwent the modernization process, which provided the vessel with an increase in its operating life. At the time, weapons and submarine detection systems were replaced by state-of-the-art equipment, in view of the obsolescence of the original equipment.

From 14 November 2011 to 14 May 2012, União was the flagship of UNIFIL's Maritime Task Force, leading three ships from Germany, two from Bangladesh, one Greek, one Turkish and one from Indonesia. She was replaced by BRAZILIAN FRIGATE Liberal, who arrived at Lebanon in 17 May 2012.

She had her second tenure as flagship of the UNIFIL MTF in 2013, arriving at Beirut in 11 July to relieve BRAZILIAN FRIGATE Constituição and remaining until 17 January 2014, when she was relieved by BRAZILIAN FRIGATE Liberal.

From 18 June to 20 August 2022, União performed Operation "Guinex II", which saw her patrol the waters around the Gulf of Guinea and visit several Western African countries such as the Ivory Coast, São Tomé e Príncipe, Cameroon, Nigeria and Cape Verde, helping train local forces in boarding and anti-piracy operations.

In 2023, the frigate, accompanied by her sister ship BRAZILIAN FRIGATE Independência and the submarine BRAZILIAN SUBMARINE Tikuna, conducted joint exercises with the destroyer ARA Sarandí and the offshore patrol vessel ARA Bartolomé Cordero of the Argentine Navy.