Portuguese mothership of uncrewed vehicles locks in Cube ecosystem from SH Defence
The Portuguese MPV NRP D João II as it will look. (Image: Damen Shipyards)
The multi-purpose support ship being built by Damen for the Portuguese Navy has added a skidding system to its design to enhance its operational capabilities on launch.
Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding has confirmed that the new multi-purpose support ship (MPSS 7000) it is building for the Portuguese Navy will feature the Cube ecosystem from SH Defence.
The MPSS 7000 will form what the Portuguese Navy calls its Plataforma Naval Multifuncional (PNM), or simply the multi-purpose vessel (MPV), a new kind of vessel for a new era of defence, particularly focused on uncrewed systems.
The single-vessel programme has a budget of €132 million (US$145 million) and was tendered in May 2023. By November that year, Portugal had contracted with Damen to design and build the vessel.
Shephard Defence
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Naval Warfare
-
![UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration]()
UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration
The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
-
![What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement]()
What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
-
![Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration]()
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
