STM secured a contract to build logistics support vessels for the Portuguese Navy. Two Auxiliary Oiler Replenishers and Logistics Ship (AOR+) will be designed and built in Türkiye, with STM as the main contractor.
STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş., has signed an export contract in the Portuguese Navy’s logistics support vessel tender. The Portuguese Navy selected STM’s design and engineering solution as the most effective and awarded the contract to the Turkish company. This marks the first instance of Türkiye exporting military ships to a European Union (EU) and NATO member state through STM.
STM will act as the main contractor under the AOR+ Project (Navio Reabastecedor de Esquadra e Logístico, NRE+ in Portuguese). Two ships will be designed and constructed in a private Turkish shipyard, with construction scheduled to commence in 2025. The ships will receive hull numbers of A-5211 and A-5212. STM previously exported one logistic support ship to Pakistan, PNS Moawin (A-39), similar to the ones built for the Portuguese Navy.
Contract Signed in Lisbon
The contract signing ceremony for the Auxiliary Oiler Replenisher and Logistics Ships, aimed at strengthening ties between Türkiye and Portugal, was held on 17 December 2024 in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Secretary of Defence Industries Professor Haluk Görgün and Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy Adm. Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Representative of the Portuguese Defence Industries Agency (IdD); Carlos Félix, General Manager of STM Özgür Güleryüz, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lisbon Haldun Koç attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Görgün said, “Türkiye, one of the ten countries in the world that manufacture its own warship, has now started to produce these products and export them to our friendly and allied countries. Developing strong defence and defence industry cooperation with our NATO Allies is a top priority for Türkiye. We also see this agreement as a step towards greater cooperation in other areas, such as unmanned maritime vehicles, electronic warfare systems, and further shipbuilding and naval modernisation projects.
We look forward to working together, ensuring timely, high-quality results to help the Portuguese Navy meet its operational needs for years to come.”
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, highlighted their success in representing the Turkish defence industry on the global stage, stating: “While we continue to strengthen the Turkish Navy with our national platforms, we are also undertaking various surface and submarine projects for Ukraine, Malaysia, and Pakistan. With our engineering and design capabilities and international experience, we implement swift, modular, cost-effective, and collaborative projects open to information sharing.”
Multi-Role Capability
Providing details about the ships to be developed under STM’s leadership, Güleryüz stated: “The vessels will feature an original design and modular architecture tailored to optimally meet the strategic objectives and operational requirements of the Portuguese Navy. With their innovative design and multi-role functionality, the Logistics Support Vessels will be capable of conducting joint force projection, amphibious operations, and replenishment at sea. They will boast greater speed and cargo capacity than ships of similar size. We believe these ships will significantly contribute to the Portuguese Navy’s regional operations as a key player in the Atlantic and to NATO missions.
The vessels will be constructed in Türkiye under STM’s leadership, with construction set to begin in 2025.”
90 Days of Uninterrupted Deployment
The vessels, with dimensions of 137 meters in length and a displacement of 11,000 tonnes, are engineered to achieve a maximum speed exceeding 18 knots, enabling them to operate continuously at sea for up to 90 days. Each vessel is designed to house 100 personnel and facilitate the transport of up to 20 light tactical armoured vehicles. Fitted with advanced sensors and armament systems, the vessels will chiefly facilitate air defence operations while possessing the capacity to participate in all fundamental warfare functions. The vessels will incorporate close-in weapon systems, 12.7 mm remote-controlled weapon systems, chaff/decoy systems, and various sophisticated sensors. In the context of helicopter operations, the vessels will be equipped with a designated landing platform for both helicopters and UAVs and a dedicated hangar for UAV storage.
