Portuguese Navy Frigate Heads to the Netherlands for MidLife Modernization.

The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida is currently sailing to Den Helder (Netherlands), where he is expected to arrive next Monday, July 13 2020, in order to continue, as planned, the modernization project (Midlife Upgrade).
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The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida (Picture source: Marinha)

This modernization program aims, as is being done with the other ship of this class - NRP Bartolomeu Dias - to extend the lifespan of the ships until 2035, to update the ship's vital systems such as the combat, command and control of the platform and other skills necessary for the ship to maintain the high operational requirements defined by the organizations of which Portugal is a member, such as NATO and the European Union.

This modernization to the NRP D. Francisco de Almeida, in addition to extending, in time, the permanence in the Portuguese Navy, will allow increasing its capacities of action and response, so that it can be engaged in an even more comprehensive range of combatant and non-combatant missions, nationally and internationally, ensuring through its flexibility, versatility and resilience, operational employment in the various theaters in which Portugal participates.

The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida (Picture source: Marinha)

The Midlife Upgrade Program (MLU) includes the modernization of weapons, sensors and communications systems and some of the equipment related to propulsion, ship manoeuvre and energy distribution.

The ship's crew will accompany the modernization work and will receive training in order to guarantee the maximum exploitation of these new systems, as well as the necessary maintenance.

The ship left Lisbon's Naval Base last Wednesday and is expected to return to Portugal in 2022.