The Portuguese Navy is enhancing its defense capabilities by purchasing eight Harpoon Block II upgrade kits from the Royal Netherlands Navy for a total cost of 800,000 euros.
These upgrades will equip the Bartolomeu Dias-class frigates, significantly enhancing their strike abilities with the modernized RGM-84L missiles.
The Portuguese Navy currently uses the earlier Harpoon Block I (RGM-84D) missiles, which are deployed from both Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias-class frigates. Initially, these vessels were armed with HSCLCS 9/10 launch systems, designed to be compatible with the Block I configuration only. However, as part of the recent Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program for the Bartolomeu Dias-class frigates, the launch systems were enhanced to the HSCLCS F12 version, enabling compatibility with the advanced Block II variant.
Harpoon Block II missiles, equipped with GPS guidance, offer a more precise capability to strike both sea-based and coastal land targets. This upgrade is expected to improve the Navy’s ability to address a broader range of threats, including high-value coastal targets and moving enemy vessels, by providing more precise targeting in challenging environments.
The Harpoon missile family has a well-established reputation for reliability, serving numerous navies around the world since the 1970s. The Block II upgrade incorporates updated technologies that improve accuracy, target discrimination, and the overall tactical flexibility of the missile. The integration of these missiles on the Portuguese frigates aims to align the Navy’s operational capabilities with evolving security demands.
The Mid-Life Upgrade for the Bartolomeu Dias-class frigates was part of a broader initiative to extend the service life and enhance the operational capability of the Portuguese naval fleet.