The ''Centauro''-class patrol boat is a series of four

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s in service with the

Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy ( pt, Marinha Portuguesa, also known as ''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'' or as ''Armada Portuguesa'') is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Port ...

. It is an evolution of the preceding . This class is meant for fisheries inspection and control duties mainly in the

Mainland Portugal Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 9 ...

shores – with some sporadic presence in the Madeira Archipelago. The ''Centauro'' class is Portuguese-designed and built at the Arsenal do Alfeite (

Almada Almada () is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River, on the opposite side of the river from Lisbon. The two cities are connected by the 25 de Abril Bridge. The population in 2011 was 174,030, in a ...

) and Estaleiros Navais do Mondego (

Figueira da Foz Figueira da Foz (), also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, west ...

Design and description

The ''Centauro''-class

s are an evolution of the , constructed of

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

instead of the ''Argos''

glass reinforced plastic Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clot ...

design. The ''Centauro'' class measure long with a beam of and a draught of . The patrol boats have a

standard displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...

of and fully loaded. The vessels are powered by two

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...

KTA-50-M2

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

s turning two shafts creating . This gives the vessels a maximum speed of , though they did make during

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s. They have a range of at or at . The ''Centauro''s are equipped with two Cummins 6BT5.95(M) diesel generators producing 150 kW of electricity. The ships can operate in sea state 3. The patrol boats mount a single Oerlikon /70 Mk 4 gun for anti-air defence. The ships were equipped with navigational

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

only. They also carry a launch carried on a launch-and-recovery ramp on the stern and the boat can be recovered at speeds up to . The vessels have a

complement A complement is something that completes something else. Complement may refer specifically to: The arts * Complement (music), an interval that, when added to another, spans an octave ** Aggregate complementation, the separation of pitch-clas ...

of eight, including one officer.

Construction and career

The class were ordered in 1998 as an improved version of the ''Argos'' class. They were designed and built in Portugal. Upon entering service, the vessels were deployed for fisheries protection, search and rescue and general patrol. The ''Centauro''s take part in some

naval exercise A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the com ...

s and some

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

. In 2006, one boat of this class, NRP ''Sagitário'', became the first Portuguese warship with a female commander, the second lieutenant Gisela Antunes.

Ships

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * * * {{Portuguese Navy Patrol vessels of the Portuguese Navy Patrol boat classes Ships built in Portugal Military equipment of Portugal