SAO PAULO, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday inaugurated the assembly phase of a reactor developed for the country's first nuclear-powered submarine, the Alvaro Alberto.
"We are proud to have this cutting-edge technology. We even have cutting-edge technology other countries do not have," Bolsonaro said during a visit to the navy's Nuclear Power Generation Laboratory (Labgene) in the city of Ipero in southeast Sao Paulo state.
The reactor, as well as turbo generators, electric motor and other systems, will be tested at the Labgene before being installed aboard the Alvaro Alberto submarine.
The reactor will be installed at the Itaguai Naval Complex in Rio de Janeiro state, where the country's four electro-diesel powered submarines -- Angostura, Tonelero, Riachuelo and Humaita -- have been developed and built.
The development of these submarines is part of a military cooperation and technology transfer agreement between Brazil and France signed in 2009.
