The Portuguese Navy will sell the patrol ships Tejo, Douro, Mondego and Guadiana to the Dominican Republic for around 24 million euros, with deliveries in phases over the next few years, the Ministry of National Defense announced today.
The contract signing ceremony for the sale of the four “Tejo” class coastal patrol vessels will be held on Friday, at the São João Baptista Fort, in Porto, with the Ministers of Defense of Portugal, Nuno Melo, and the Dominican Republic, Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre.
In question are the NRP (Ships of the Portuguese Republic) Tejo, Douro, Mondego and Guadiana, aimed at maritime patrol and surveillance missions, control of waters under national jurisdiction, search and rescue and maritime security.
The base value of the contract is 24 million euros (six million euros per ship), “which can be complemented by additional options in systems and equipment, up to a maximum global amount of 24.37 million euros, depending on the choices made by the Dominican Republic”, detailed the ministry.
Delivery will be phased, with the first ship “to be delivered within 12 months after completion of the logistics phase, followed by the other units, with maximum deadlines of 20, 30 and 40 months, respectively”.
The vessels will be delivered to Portugal, with the Dominican Republic being responsible for their transit to their destination.
The ministry argues that this transfer reinforces the Dominican Republic’s patrol and maritime security capabilities but also allows Portugal to “value war material not necessary for the Armed Forces”.
The “Tejo” class ships are multipurpose units, around 50 meters long, in operation in the Portuguese Navy since 2016.
According to the authority, the agreement includes “an integrated program for the transfer of capabilities, involving maintenance and modernization actions, supply of ammunition and spare parts, technical documentation, training and training of garrisons and management teams, in order to guarantee the full operationalization of ships serving the Dominican Navy”.
The Navy is making a wide range of equipment purchases, with deliveries expected in the coming years: the D. João II drone carrier, which is being built in Romania and will be delivered in 2026, the six Ocean Patrol Vessels (NPO’s), the first vessel of which should arrive in 2027, two logistics refuelers in 2028, and the acquisition of three new generation frigates is also planned, as part of the European SAFE loans.
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