The Portuguese Navy has a storied past with South Africa, stretching back to the era when Portugal’s empire cast a wide net across Africa, with colonies like Angola and Mozambique flanking South African territory. In those days, Portuguese warships were a familiar sight in South African ports, especially Cape Town, a vital waypoint for vessels navigating between Europe and Asia.
The 1975 Carnation Revolution, which toppled Portugal’s authoritarian regime, abruptly ended its colonial rule, triggering instability in Angola and Mozambique as civil wars erupted. This upheaval slashed the frequency of Portuguese naval visits to South Africa, but in recent years, that tide has begun to turn. On 12 June, at 9:00 in the morning, the Portuguese Navy’s ocean patrol vessel NRP Sines (P362) steamed into Cape Town harbour after departing Walvis Bay, Namibia. Initially, it seemed destined for the prestigious V&A Basin, a berth rarely granted to Western navies. At the last moment, however, it was redirected to Duncan Dock, docking alongside the Passenger Cruise Terminal at E berth—a spot typically reserved for visiting warships.
This arrival marked a notable moment in Portugal’s renewed engagement with South Africa, driven by the ‘Open Sea 2025 Initiative’, a Portuguese government effort to bolster its role in global maritime security and deepen ties with African nations. The NRP Sines, launched in May 2017 and commissioned in June 2018, is a Viana do Castelo-class patrol vessel, the third of ten built and the first of an enhanced second series. Constructed by the West Sea shipyard in Viana do Castelo, northern Portugal, it stretches 81 metres long with a displacement of 1,850 tonnes. Costing $70 million (R1.26 billion), it boasts a 30-year service life.
Powered by two Wärtsilä diesel engines, each churning out 5,200 bhp (3,900 kW), and paired with two 300 kW electric motors for silent running, it achieves a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles at an economical 15 knots. Commanded by Lieutenant Captain Vítor da Silva Santos, it carries a crew of eight officers, nine petty officers, 24 ratings, and 20 marines. Though lightly armed compared to heavier warships, the NRP Sines is equipped for versatility. Its primary armament includes an OTO-Melara 30 mm Marlin cannon (though this appears absent on Sines), supplemented by mounts for either two 7.62 mm general-purpose machine guns or two 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine guns. It also features two MK.55 Mod.2 sea mine launching systems.
A helideck supports a Westland Super Lynx Mk.95 helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance and reconnaissance, though it lacks a hangar. Two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), capable of 32 knots, enable boarding and interdiction operations, while three water cannons tackle firefighting and pollution control. The ‘Open Sea 2025 Initiative’ propelling this voyage began on 14 April when NRP Sines departed Lisbon’s naval base at Cova da Piedade. Spanning four months and due to conclude on 11 August, the journey includes 12 African port calls: Casablanca (Morocco), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Dakar (Senegal), Mindelo and Praia (Cape Verde), Baía Ana Chaves (São Tomé and Príncipe), Luanda and Lobito (Angola), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Cape Town (South Africa), Maputo (Mozambique), Durban (South Africa), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), and Tenerife (Canary Islands).
Each stop fosters bilateral cooperation and diplomacy, reflecting Portugal’s intent to maintain a strategic presence in Africa. The Cape Town visit, lasting four days, follows a similar stay in Walvis Bay from 4 to 8 June, with Maputo next on the itinerary. This initiative ties into the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), an organisation uniting nations like Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique to promote cooperation and cultural exchange. Beyond port visits, NRP Sines joined Exercise ‘Obangame Express 2025’, a two-week multinational naval drill in West and Central Africa—the largest of its kind.
Led by the US Navy’s 6th Fleet and backed by AFRICOM, it involved 29 nations, including 19 African countries (Angola, Benin, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) and 10 foreign navies (USA, UK, Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Brazil). Hosted by Cape Verde, the exercise tackled piracy, illegal fishing, oil platform security, and search and rescue, aligning with the European Union’s Coordinated Maritime Presence to bolster Gulf of Guinea security. South Africa, with its 2,500-kilometre coastline, faces its own maritime challenges—piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing among them.The NRP Sines’ visit offers a chance to tap into Portugal’s expertise, echoing historical ties when Cape Town welcomed Portuguese ships en route to Asia. This isn’t the first such visit recently; the class lead, NRP Viana do Castelo (P360), docked in Cape Town from 12 to 14 October 2024 during a similar African circuit, which included the ‘Grand African Nemo’ exercise in the Gulf of Guinea. Departing Lisbon in August 2024, it visited Namibia, Mozambique, and Angola, with plans for Cape Verde, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Gabon, and Mauritania before returning in December.