Portugal’s Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Gouveia e Melo, said today that the Portuguese Navy will fill a serious gap by acquiring two refuelling ships due to arrive in 2028. “Portugal, the Portuguese Navy, lost the ability to operate with a refueller at sea six years ago. This was a serious gap that limited and limits our operations at sea immensely”, he said. “We lost the ability to operate over long distances, independently, and we lost the ability to operate for long periods at sea. We lost that capacity in 2018. We will regain that capability in 2028. Admiral Gouveia e Melo was speaking at the signing ceremony for the contract between the Portuguese Navy and Turkish shipyard STM for the acquisition of the new ships, which took place at the Navy’s central facilities in Lisbon, and was attended by the secretary of state for Turkish defence industries, Haluk GƶrgĆ¼n, among others.
Navy to get two refuelling ships to ‘fill gap’ in service
Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, who leaves the Navy after a long and distiguished career, including three years in the top position: Image: Pedro Sarmento Costa/ Lusa
