"D. João II": an innovative vessel for ocean exploring

It will be named "D. João II" – a multifunction and innovative vessel capable of operating in emergency, surveillance operations, science and ocean research, and environmental and weather monitoring.

With a total length of 107.6 metres, the "D. João II" will operate as a "drone, land and submarine carrier", boosting capabilities in ocean monitoring and research. This Multifunctional Naval Platform includes cutting edge technology and takes the features of an ocean surveillance and research vessel into other scenarios, namely emergency contexts. 

With a capacity to board 48 crew, plus room for 42 scientists and unmanned system operators, the vessel will be able to lodge around 100 people temporarily. 

 "The D. João II vessel is a major opportunity to leverage sea knowledge and research, producing resources that are appreciated through the blue economy", prime Minister António Costa stressed at the ceremony to sign the agreement to build the Multifunctional Naval Platform held on Friday 24 November at the Navy Museum in Lisbon.

Funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), 94.5 million euros, to which 37.5 million are added under State investment, the Portuguese Republic Ship (NRP) D. João II is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the second half of 2026. 

The sea is one of the RRF investment components with the aim of facing a set of challenges, including mapping out and assessing mineral resources and all the other non-renewable resources of the sea-beds and maritime subsoils under Portuguese jurisdiction, mitigate harmful human action on oceans and produce knowledge through the merger of information, developing prediction models with different time and space scales. 

The Multifunctional Naval Platform is one of the parts of this investment. It intends to increase the capabilities in ocean monitoring and research, monitoring marine ecology, as well as integrating new technologies for ocean intervention, including aerial and submarine robotics systems.