Damen's construction of Portuguese drone carrier progresses - Dutch shipbuilder Damen is responsible for the project.

Construction of the Portuguese drone carrier Dom João II appears to be progressing very smoothly. Dutch shipbuilder Damen is responsible for the project and appears poised to meet its target of delivering the vessel this year. This will make Portugal a European leader in naval vessels operating with drones.

Euronews published a photo clearly showing the project's significant progress. The ship has a gray and white hull, and the bridge is a light red. Despite the scaffolding surrounding the vessel, the carrier is already quite recognizable as a future ship.

The ship is largely funded by the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility , intended for member states hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. One condition is that this fund may not be used for weapons, so the carrier will operate with unarmed drones.

Besides drones, the multifunctional ship is also suitable for transporting helicopters, vessels, vehicles, and containers, among other things. This represents a significant upgrade to the Portuguese Navy's capabilities and its potential for scientific research and coastal monitoring.

Portugal is leading the way in Europe.
When the contract was signed in 2023, the ship was scheduled for delivery in 2026, and this schedule appears to be on track to be met. The carrier is expected to be ready for transfer to the Portuguese Navy in the second half of this year.

This makes Portugal the first European country to have a carrier specifically designed for the deployment of drones. The country is thus leading the way in the development of unmanned systems in complex maritime situations. Turkey does have a helicopter and drone carrier, the Anadolu, but this is more out of necessity due to the lack of fighter jets.

The Netherlands is also working on ships with both sailing and flying drones: the Amphibious Transport Ships (ATS), but these are not yet in the construction stage.

Experts believe the Dom João II could serve as a model for smaller navies wishing to perform surveillance tasks, scientific research, disaster relief, and maritime security operations. It would offer a more economical and flexible alternative to traditional aircraft carriers.

The ship's flexibility is also so great that it only takes a short time to replace systems and equipment. Moreover, the cost of €132 million was exceptionally low for a carrier.

Unmanned systems and main support
The Dom João should ultimately be capable of transporting, launching, and reembarking UUVs, Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The ship should be capable of providing assistance in emergencies and natural disasters and has an open modular architecture, allowing for rapid adaptations for different tasks. In the event of an emergency, the Dom João II can accommodate up to 200 people.

The NRP Dom João II will displace between 7,000 and 9,000 tons and has approximately 650 square meters of deck space, of which 94 meters is flight deck. The ship will be 107.6 meters long and will include a sickbay, a hyperbaric chamber, and a laboratory. There will also be a maintenance hanger. Its maximum speed will be over fifteen knots.

In 2026, NRP Dom João II will become the third ship for the Portuguese Navy built by Damen (or its predecessor, De Schelde). It will then join NRP Bartolomeu Dias and NRP D. Francisco de Almeida. These two M-frigates were purchased by Portugal in 2006 from the Dutch Navy, where they were known as the Van Nes and Van Galen.

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