The Portuguese frigate NRP Dom Fransisco de Almeida is in the Netherlands to continue the modernization program.

The Karel Doorman-class ship left Portugal last Wednesday and was expected to arrive in the Netherlands on Monday. The modernization mainly concerns weapons systems, sensors and communication systems, ensuring that the frigate will remain combat-ready until 2035, on missions of the Portuguese Navy, NATO and the European Union.

Portugal maintains a total of five frigates in service: three MEKO 200 (NRP Vasco da Gama, NRP Alvares Cabral, NRP Corte-Real) and two M (NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida, NRP Bartolomeu Dias). The latter were purchased second-hand from the Netherlands in 2006 and entered service with the Portuguese Navy in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Along with the modernization of the ship, the crew will be trained in the utilization of the new systems and their maintenance. The ship is scheduled to return to Portugal in 2022.