Europe is soon launching its first carrier warship built exclusively for drones, with the vessel taking shape in Portugal ahead of its debut later this year.
Built by Dutch company Damen, the NRPD João II spans 108 meters (354.3 feet) and features a 94-meter (308-feet) deck for launching and landing aerial drones.
It also includes a hangar for assembly and maintenance, plus a stern ramp for deploying surface and underwater drones.
The João II houses 18 container-sized mission modules that can be reconfigured as hyperbaric chambers, hospital spaces, or storage for over 18 light vehicles and 10 boats.
The standard crew setup accommodates 48 personnel and 42 specialists, including scientists operators, with emergency capacity for up to 200 additional staff.
Priced at 132 million Euro ($156 million), the drone carrier is expected to reach a top speed of 15.5 knots (29 kilometers/18 miles per hour).
Drone ‘Mothership’
The João II is built for 45 days of full autonomous operations, able to persist through missions without immediate logistical support.
Mission profiles — such as maritime surveillance and rescue operations — can be changed within a week by swapping necessary systems and equipment.
“This approach allows the ship to maintain high functional flexibility, switching between different mission profiles without significant structural compromises,” Portuguese Navy spokesperson Ricardo Sá Granja said, as quoted by EuroNews.
The carrier will be able to deploy multiple unmanned systems simultaneously, ensuring coverage across all operational domains.
With the help of local partners, the Portuguese Navy can also build unmanned systems on board, with international collaborators being tapped to produce more advanced systems to supplement production.
The first NRPD João II is slated for delivery in the second half of 2026.
