A new drone-carrying ship ordered by the Portuguese Navy was launched in Romania during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 7.
The future NRP D. João II is also the first navy ship to honour King John II, who reigned as King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495.
The vessel will be classed as a multi-purpose support ship (MPSS). She was designed with the cooperation of the Portuguese Navy.
Upon completion, the MPSS will have a length of 107 metres and 650 square metres of clear deck space, allowing for the transport of up to 12 TEUs. The deck space can also be used to house mission-specific modular systems such as hospitals, hyperbaric chambers, and remotely operated vehicle equipment, as required.
The MPSS can be applied to a wide range of duties including managing unmanned aerial, surface and undersea vehicles; conducting amphibious support; emergency/disaster relief; search and rescue; diving support; oceanic exploration and research, and helicopter operations.
The future D. João II will begin undergoing sea trials later this year.
