NSPA issues RFP to modernise Portuguese frigates
The modernisation of the MEKO 200PNs will enable the Portuguese Navy to keep the fleet relevant until they are replaced by new frigates in line with the service's national fleet renewal programme. (Victor Barreira)
An ambitious effort of the Portuguese Navy to extend the service life of its Vasco da Gama (MEKO 200PN)-class multi-purpose frigates through to 2035 achieved a milestone on 25 April with the publication by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) of a request for proposals (RFP) to add further upgrades to up to two ships.
Companies interested in carrying out the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of NRP Álvares Cabral (F 331) and NRP Corte-Real (F 332) have until 24 June to deliver their proposals.
The RFP calls for the modification of one frigate between 2026 and 2028 at the Portuguese state-owned shipyard Arsenal do Alfeite and an option for a second unit.
The Portuguese Navy's ‘mid-life modernisation of frigate' project to upgrade the Vasco da Gama-class frigates for high-intensity warfare missions was formally authorised in 2022 by the Ministry of National Defence for a budget of up to EUR120 million (USD136 million) as part of the Military Programming Law 2023–2034.
Managed under several separate contracts, the project is composed mainly of the ships' overhaul and the systems' modernisation.
Several upgrades have been previously installed.
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