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STM has laid down the second replenishment at sea and logistics support ship it is building for the Portuguese Navy, holding the ceremony at ADA Shipyard in Istanbul. The first vessel is already in block construction and outfitting, so both ships are now being built at the same yard at the same time.

The program stems from a contract signed in Lisbon on 17 December 2024, Turkey's first military ship export to a European Union and NATO member. STM says both ships will be launched in 2027 and delivered to the Portuguese Navy in 2028.

Second vessel enters construction

The block keel laying for the second ship, N.R.P. Fernando Pessoa (A5212), took place at ADA Shipyard in Istanbul, STM said in a statement. The first vessel, N.R.P. Luís de Camões, continues block construction and outfitting at the same facility.

STM won the Portuguese Navy's Replenishment at Sea and Logistics Support Ship tender against leading international naval shipbuilding firms and signed the contract in the Portuguese capital. Design work was completed after signing, and construction of the first ship began with a steel cutting ceremony in November 2025. Its block keel laying followed in January 2026, and steel for the second ship was cut on 18 June 2026.

The ceremony was attended by Portuguese Navy Commander Admiral Nobre de Sousa, Turkish Fleet Commander Admiral Kadir Yıldız, representatives of the Portuguese Navy and the Turkish Naval Forces Command, STM and ADA Shipyard managers, and the project teams.

Launches planned for 2027, deliveries for 2028

STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz said the project for the Portuguese Navy is moving on its planned schedule. Güleryüz said the company draws on experience from 44 naval platform projects carried out at 11 different shipyards and continues to pass that know-how on to friendly and allied countries.

"We are carrying out the construction of both ships at the same time at the same shipyard," Güleryüz said, adding: "We will launch our ships in 2027 and deliver them to the Portuguese Navy in 2028." He described the Portuguese project as Turkey's first military ship export to an EU and NATO member and said the second keel laying marked another step in the program.

Nobre de Sousa calls the ship a force multiplier

Admiral Nobre de Sousa said the ship will make a significant contribution to the operational capabilities of the Portuguese Navy, noting that it will provide logistics support across a broad mission range from humanitarian aid and disaster response to power projection and combat operations.

"It will be much more than a logistics support ship and will truly act as a force multiplier," Nobre de Sousa said, adding that in service it will strengthen Portugal's support for NATO maritime operations, improve interoperability with allies and reinforce its contribution to the collective defence of the Euro-Atlantic area.

The admiral described the project as concrete evidence of the strong relations, mutual trust, knowledge sharing and strategic cooperation between Turkey and Portugal as NATO allies, and thanked the Turkish authorities, the Turkish Naval Forces, STM and everyone who worked on the program.

Ships named after Portuguese literary figures

The vessels carry names that reflect Portugal's literary and maritime heritage. The first ship is named after Luís de Camões, the country's national poet. The second ship had been planned to carry the name of King Dom Dinis, but the Portuguese Navy decided to change it to N.R.P. Fernando Pessoa.

Fernando Pessoa, one of the most important Portuguese poets of the 20th century, gave considerable space in his work to Portugal's maritime history and cultural heritage.

Modular design for logistics and multi-role missions

The ships are being built at ADA Shipyard in Istanbul with STM as main contractor. Considered an important project for the level Turkey has reached in military naval systems engineering, the replenishment at sea and logistics support ships have a modular design. They can provide logistics support and transfer fuel and cargo at sea, and can also be used for armoured vehicle transport, combined power transfer and amphibious operations.

The vessels will carry up to 20 light armoured tactical vehicles and, thanks to their modular and versatile design, will also perform humanitarian aid, search and rescue and medical support tasks in times of crisis. Fitted with an integrated communications system, the ships will also stand out for their command and control capabilities.

The ships will be 137 metres long, displace 11,000 tonnes, reach a maximum speed of over 18 knots and be able to stay at sea for 30 days without interruption. They will accommodate 100 mission crew plus 100 additional personnel and will carry sensor and weapons systems for all basic warfare types, mainly air defence.

The equipment list includes close-in air defence systems, 12.7 mm remotely controlled weapon systems and chaff and decoy systems, along with numerous advanced sensors and systems. The ships will also have a platform for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles and a hangar for UAVs.

Key takeaways

• The second logistics support ship for the Portuguese Navy, N.R.P. Fernando Pessoa (A5212), was laid down at ADA Shipyard in Istanbul.
• The contract signed in Lisbon on 17 December 2024 was Turkey's first military ship export to an EU and NATO member.
• Both ships are to be launched in 2027 and delivered to the Portuguese Navy in 2028.
• The 137-metre, 11,000-tonne vessels will carry up to 20 light armoured vehicles and stay at sea for 30 days.