The steel cutting ceremony for the second ship constructed by Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. (STM) for the Portuguese Navy was held in Istanbul. This project marks Turkey's first military ship export to a country that is a member of both the EU and NATO.

The steel cutting ceremony for the second ship, N.R.P. D. DINIS, within the scope of the Sea Supply and Logistics Support Ships Project, which STM is building for the Portuguese Navy, took place in Istanbul. In a press release regarding the matter, it was noted that the contract for the Sea Supply and Logistics Support Ship Project was signed on December 17, 2024, in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

The release stated that following the signing of the contract, design activities were completed for the project, and the construction process of the first ship began with the steel cutting ceremony in November 2025. It was mentioned that the keel-laying ceremony for the first ship was held in January 2026 in Istanbul, and while construction activities for the first ship are ongoing, the steel cutting ceremony for the second ship was conducted today. It was emphasized that the production process of the second ship has officially begun, and representatives from the Portuguese Navy, STM, and ADA Shipyard management, along with project teams, attended the ceremony.

The project, carried out under the main contracting of STM, represents Turkey's first military ship export to a member country of the European Union (EU) and NATO. The release stated, 'While the first ship bears the name of Portugal's national poet Luis de Camoes, the second ship is named after King Dom Dinis, who played a significant role in Portugal's maritime history.'

In his speech at the ceremony, STM Deputy General Manager Bülent Soydal expressed, 'We are proud to transfer our experience in developing NATO-standard platforms from the 44 maritime projects we have conducted in 11 different shipyards to Portugal, which is among the leading maritime nations. While construction activities for our first ship in the Sea Supply and Logistics Support Ships Project for the Portuguese Navy are ongoing, we have also started outfitting works. Today, with the steel cutting of the second ship, we are officially starting the construction process of our second ship. We aim to launch both ships in 2027 and deliver them to the Portuguese Navy in 2028. Thus, we will have delivered two ships in approximately four years.'

Source: SeaNews Türkiye