Keel block laid for second Portuguese Navy replenishment ship

Computer generated image of two future Portuguese Navy auxiliary oiler replenishment and logistics ships at sea. Image taken from an STM press release issued on 17 December 2024. (STM)

Türkiye's STM (Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret) held a keel-block laying ceremony for the Portuguese Navy's second auxiliary oiler replenishment and logistics ship, NRP Fernando Pessoa (A5212), at ADA Shipyard in Istanbul on 20 October 2026.

STM is the main contractor for the two ships under the AOR+ Project ( Navio Reabastecedor de Esquadra e Logístico ). Design work and construction are taking place at ADA Shipyard, a private Turkish facility. The contract was signed in Lisbon on 17 December 2024, marking Türkiye's first military ship export to an EU and NATO member state, according to STM. On 3 December 2025 Türkiye signed a separate government-to-government contract with Romania for a Hisar-class light corvette.

STM lists the ships as 137.06 m long, with a breadth of 19.10 m, and a displacement of 11,000 tonnes. They will have a top speed of more than 18 kt and be able to remain at sea for up to 30 days, according to the company. The Portuguese Navy says the ships will use hybrid diesel-electric propulsion.

Each ship will carry up to 20 light armoured tactical vehicles, which can be loaded using an aft roll-on/roll-off ramp. STM's project information lists capacity for 100 mission personnel, including a crew of 50, as well as temporary accommodation for a further 100 people. The ships will also have a helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing platform and a UAV hangar.