Portugal to receive EU’s first drone carrier NRP D. João II in 2026 for Atlantic surveillance.

The NRP D. João II, the European Union’s first purpose-built drone carrier, currently being built by Damen for the Portuguese Navy, is scheduled for delivery in late 2026.

According to Euronews Portugal on January 29, 2026, the NRP D. João II, the European Union’s first purpose-built drone carrier, is being built by Damen for the Portuguese Navy and is scheduled for delivery in late 2026. The vessel, formally designated as the Multifunctional Naval Platform, is intended to support long-duration missions including maritime surveillance, scientific research, environmental monitoring, and civil protection across Portugal’s extensive maritime domain.
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Within the European Union, Portugal will be the first state to proceed with a purpose-built drone carrier, the NRP D. João II, improving maritime surveillance, inspection, and control missions, as well as the protection of critical infrastructure, including undersea cables. (Picture source: Portuguese Navy)

The ship is being built by Damen for the Portuguese Navy, following a contract signed on November 24, 2023, in Lisbon. The program, formally designated as the Multifunctional Naval Platform, positions Portugal as the first European Union member state to commission a vessel conceived from the outset to operate unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles as its primary function. The ship is intended to sustain long-duration missions combining maritime surveillance, scientific research, environmental monitoring, and civil-protection tasks. Its development is directly linked to Portugal’s requirement to supervise a very large maritime area and to maintain a persistent presence at sea with reduced dependence on traditional crew-intensive assets. 

The operational rationale behind the NRP D. João II is the rapid expansion of unmanned systems, from basic reconnaissance roles to key assets capable of surveillance, communications relay, data collection, and armed missions. Portugal also considered cost effectiveness; for cost comparison, a US Navy Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier, such as the USS John F. Kennedy, with a displacement of about 100,000 tonnes, is valued at roughly $13 billion, while the British Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, at about 65,000 tonnes, is estimated at above $1 billion and elsewhere at about $4 billion per ship. Unmanned systems are also associated with faster force concentration and lower logistical burden compared with carrier strike groups.

Earlier efforts include the 2007 UXV Combatant concept proposed by BVT Surface Fleet, an 8,000-tonne unmanned-systems mothership that did not progress due to unresolved autonomy and coordination limits at the time. Several navies are identified as already operating or developing flat-deck ships for autonomous air systems, including China, Iran, and Turkey. Iran and Turkey are noted as pursuing this capability through conversion of existing hulls, including three commercial vessels in Iran’s case (Shahid Bahman Bagheri, Shahid Mahdavi, Shahid Roudaki) and an amphibious assault ship in Turkey’s case (TCG Anadolu). China, for its part, possesses the Zhu Hai Yun and the CSSC Explorer-1.

Within the European Union, Portugal will be the first state to proceed with a purpose-built solution, drawing on experience accumulated through national unmanned maritime experimentation. The ship’s name, NRP D. João II, refers to the 15th-century Portuguese king associated with Atlantic exploration. The concept for this ship was developed under the tenure of Henrique Gouveia e Melo, former Chief of Staff of the Navy and a declared candidate in Portugal’s 2026 presidential election, with the contract signing ceremony attended by then Prime Minister António Costa. Concerning funding and procurement details, the total cost of the NRP D. João II is €132 million, with €94.5 million financed through the European Union Recovery and Resilience Plan and €37.5 million provided by the Portuguese state budget.

An initial competitive procedure launched on June 24, 2022, ended without bids on November 30, 2022, leading to a restructuring of the program. Following reprogramming, the allocated budget was increased and the delivery schedule extended to mid-2026. Construction began with the first steel cut in October 2024 at Damen’s Galati facility. The Portuguese Navy opted not to patent the concept, avoiding additional expenditure, and this decision has led to expressions of interest from other European navies after contract award. Interestingly, the NRP D. João II is designed as a modular multi-mission unit capable of changing its configuration within roughly one week by exchanging installed systems and equipment.

This approach is intended to allow rapid transition between scientific, civil protection, and security roles without major structural modification. The vessel is planned to operate unmanned aerial, surface, and subsurface systems, while retaining capacity for helicopter operations and logistical support. The design architecture incorporates high-performance computing, large-scale data handling, digital twin concepts, and artificial intelligence. It is also intended to function as a test and experimentation platform for Portugal’s broader innovation ecosystem, including the Zona Livre Tecnológica Infante D. Henrique in Tróia.

In terms of size, the NRP D. João II has a length of 107.6 meters, a beam of 20 meters, and a displacement of about 7,000 tonnes. Propulsion is provided by two Tier III-compliant engines, enabling a maximum speed of about 15.5 knots. In January 2025, it was confirmed that Schottel was selected to supply the ship’s maneuvering systems, consisting of two EcoPeller SRE 560 azimuth thrusters and one TransverseThruster STT 3 FP. The standard crew complement is 48 personnel, with accommodation for 42 additional specialists such as scientists and unmanned systems operators. In emergency situations, the ship can temporarily host between 100 and 200 additional people.

A continuous flight deck of approximately 94 meters supports launch and recovery of aerial drones, with dedicated hangars for assembly, preparation, and maintenance, and facilities sized for medium helicopters, such as NH90s or SH60s, and for heavy helicopters such as the EH-101. For surface and subsurface operations, the ship includes dedicated hangars, launch and recovery systems, and a stern ramp for unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, supported by positioning and communications systems. Payload capacity includes space for up to 18 standard 20-foot containers, configurable for laboratories, hyperbaric chambers, or hospital functions, as well as 18 light vehicles, including ambulances and up to ten boats beyond the organic complement.

Cargo handling is supported by a crane rated at 30 tonnes at a 14-meter reach. The vessel also carries the ROV Luso, a remotely operated vehicle capable of operating at depths of up to 6,000 meters for inspection and seabed tasks. Endurance is specified at up to 45 days, enabling prolonged deployments without nearby logistical support. Mission profiles include oceanographic research, environmental and meteorological monitoring, and real-time data collection and transmission from Portuguese waters, supported by permanent laboratories and cooperation with universities. Civil protection roles include search and rescue, disaster assistance, and evacuation of civilians from high-risk or conflict areas.

From a defense perspective, the NRP D. João II supports maritime surveillance, inspection, and control missions linked to national sovereignty and protection of critical infrastructure, including undersea cables. Unmanned aerial and surface vehicles support surveillance, communications relay, and data collection, while underwater systems conduct inspection, detection, and seabed mapping, with configurations adapted to scientific, civil, or military missions. The strategic context emphasizes Portugal’s maritime space of about 4 million km², making it the largest coastal state in the EU and one of the largest globally, with the third-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Europe, about 18 times larger than the mainland.

Increased naval activity in the Atlantic is also cited, with 143 Russian vessels tracked along the Portuguese coast between 2022 and 2024, and at least eight detected in waters under Portuguese jurisdiction in 2025, including submarines equipped with long-range missiles and specialized intelligence ships capable of damaging undersea cables. Therefore, data collected by the NRP D. João II is intended to support early detection of anomalous activity and counter hybrid threats such as sabotage of submerged infrastructure. Command and control of dispersed unmanned fleets relies on secure data links, redundancy, encryption, network segmentation, and the ability to operate in degraded or autonomous modes while retaining human oversight. Finally, the open-systems architecture is intended to allow future integration of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence for data processing, assisted or autonomous navigation, sensor fusion, and decision support, without altering the ship’s core multi-mission role.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.