First SF300 patrol boat for Portugal arrives

[Zarvan]

The Portuguese Navy's first Stanflex 300 patrol boat NRP Tejo arrived in Lisbon on 12 May 2015. These vessels will make up the Tejo class. Source: Portuguese Navy
Key Points

• The first of four coastal patrol boats acquired from Denmark for the Portuguese Navy has arrived in Lisbon
• The remaining three vessels are due to arrive by August 2015, with all four to be updated before entering service

The first Standard Flex 300 coastal patrol boat for the Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa) arrived at the service's main naval base near Lisbon on 12 May.

NRP Tejo (P 590) is the first of four 54 m long vessels (also known as Stanflex 300 or SF 300) acquired from Denmark in October 2014 in a EUR4 million (USD4.44 million) deal.

Tejo , formerly HDMS Viben (P 562) in Royal Danish Navy (RDN) service, was transferred from Denmark with its original equipment removed. The ship's mine rails are still present, although the ship will not undertake mine countermeasures (MCM) missions with the Portuguese Navy. The ship is also fitted with a navigation radar antenna, but IHS Jane's understands that it does not have radar consoles or software installed at this time.

The remaining ships of the 500-tonne Tejo class are NRP Douro (P 591), NRPMondego (P 592), and NRP Guadiana (P 593) - formerly HDMS Ravnen (P 560), HDMS Glenten (P 557), and HDMS Skaden (P 561), respectively. These vessels are expected to arrive in Lisbon before the end of August 2015, a Portuguese Navy spokesperson told IHS Jane's . The Tejo class will progressively replace the navy's three remaining Cacine-class large patrol craft and the patrol/auxiliary ship NRPSchultz Xavier (A 521).

Prior to the ships entering service, Portugal's state-owned shipbuilder Arsenal do Alfeite will carry out upgrade and other work under a contract worth around EUR24 million to be awarded by the navy.

The navy is understood to be considering removing the vessels' GE Marine LM500 gas turbine and keeping only its two MTU Friedrichshafen 16V396 TB94 diesels for propulsion.

Equipment to be installed is still being defined by the service, although the class will be equipped in accordance with required missions; these include patrol, fisheries protection, search-and-rescue (SAR), and environmental protection. Equipment under consideration includes communications, navigation, lightweight armament, and electro-optical systems.

Portuguese military communications company EID is expected to deliver some of the communications systems. IHS Jane's understands that Portuguese firm Edisoft (part of the Thales group) may potentially be involved in software integration. The navy is seeking to have the ships fitted with as much indigenous equipment as possible. The ship's modular design consists of weapons and other equipment installed in standardised containers and with standardised interfaces.

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First SF300 patrol boat for Portugal arrives - IHS Jane's 360

 

[Penguin]

Removing the GE Marine LM500 gas turbine would lower the top speed from 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) to 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). IMHO that would be a waste. Particularly since range currently is 3,860 nmi (7,150 km) at 18 kn (i.e. on diesels: there is no range gain from removing GTu. Which means it is an economy measure only: saving on GTu maintenance.).