Innovative Portuguese Drone Carrier takes to the water
Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania this week launched the future NRP Dom João II, a Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) 10720 series ship for the Portuguese Navy.
The 353-foot, 7,000-ton vessel is designed for minimal manning (48 full-time crew) and can conduct everything from scientific research and drone experimentation to humanitarian relief and disaster support.
With a 308×36 foot flight deck and 650m² of hangar space, the vessel can transport and launch unmanned underwater, surface, and aerial vehicles, as well as carry up to 12 TEU containers housing mission-specific modular systems like a Role 2 NATO hospital or ROV equipment.
Dom João can carry a light battalion (300~ men) for brief periods and 10-12 RIBs to land them in a maritime raid force situation, backed up by at least two Agusta-Westland AW101 helicopters and assorted UAVs. The regiment-sized Portuguese Marines are certainly capable of providing such a force.
Alternatively, Dom João can embark a force of light armor, provided a port is available, with her decks able to stow 18 vehicles, landed on a pier via an onboard 30-ton crane. The country’s army operates a decent quantity of Pandur 8x8s, 90mm-armed Commando V-150s, etc., and could make that happen.
In terms of UAVs, Dom João can also operate as a drone carrier with as many of the bad boys as you can stuff aboard her.
The fixed-wing UAVs are launched via a ski jump. Portuguese Navy image.
The mothership is shown with two notional fixed-wing UAVs on deck (they look like MQ-1C Grey Eagle, but the new MQ-9B STOL may be a better fit) as well as 6 quad-copter UAVs and one NH90 helicopter. The design seems to lack an aviation hangar. Below decks is a modular area to launch and recover AUV, UUV, and USV. Portuguese Navy image.
The Portuguese Navy has acquired a wide range of unmanned systems in recent years, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as UAVision Aeronautics’ Spyro 4N and OGS42N/VN, Beyond Vision’s VTOne and HEIFU Pro, and Autel Robotics’ EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise V2 and EVO Nano; the LSTS’ Seacon-3 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV); and a shelter-based deployable ground control station.
The €132 million tender for Dom João was signed in 2023 and laid down in October 2024.
She will carry the name of the 15th-century Portuguese King who championed maritime exploration, broadening the work of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator, and is scheduled for sea trials later this year.
While Dom João has no armament fitted, the MPV could be escorted in operations by the Damen-built former Dutch Karel Doorman-class frigates NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333, ex-Van Nes) and NRP D. Francisco de Almeida (F334, ex-Van Galen) or the three newer Vasco da Gama (German MEKO 200) class frigates, which do.
