Portugal to modernise OPVs

The first of the Portuguese Navy's two Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels, NRP Viana do Castelo , was commissioned into service on 30 December 2010. (Victor Manuel Saraiva Barreira)

The Portuguese Navy is to progressively upgrade its Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), service representatives told Janes.

The four OPVs – NRP Viana do Castelo (P360), NRP Figueira da Foz (P361), NRP Sines (P362), and NRP Setúbal (P363) – will be upgraded throughout their maintenance cycles.

The programme intends to remove logistical, functional, and operational obsolescence; add capabilities required for future operations; and enable the integration of modular systems for mission support, self-protection, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the representatives said.

Separate to the new upgrade programme, Sines and Setúbal are scheduled to receive the Marlin WS remote-controlled weapon turret (which already equips Viana do Castelo and Figueira da Foz) and Medusa MK4/B electro-optical fire-control system in 2025, the representatives said.