Argos-class patrol boat

The Argos-class patrol boat is a model of patrol boat in service in the Portuguese Navy since 1991. This type of ship was designed by the Arsenal do Alfeite, Lisbon, but was built in private shipyards located in Vila Real de Santo António.

NRP Escorpião (P1152) navigating off Madeira heading to Porto Santo island
Class overview
Name:	Argos
Builders:	Estaleiros Navais de Vila Real de Santo António
Operators:	Portuguese Navy
Preceded by:	Albatroz-class patrol boat
Subclasses:	Centauro-class patrol boat
In commission:	1991 – present
Planned:	5
Completed:	5
Active:	5
General characteristics
Type:	Patrol boat
Displacement:	97 ton
Length:	27 m (89 ft)
Beam:	5.9 m (19 ft)
Draught:	2.8 m (9.2 ft)
Propulsion:	2 diesel-engines MTU 12V 396 TE84 each with 3500 hp
Speed:	26 knots (48 km/h)
Range:	1,350 nautical miles (3,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	8 1 officer 1 petty-officer 6 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	1 navigation radar Kodden MDC 2210
Armament:	2 12.7mm MG

The ships of the class are mainly employed in the surveillance and control of the Portuguese territorial waters, in Mainland Portugal and in the Madeira Archipelago. The ships are also employed in other missions as the search and rescue, maritime pollution control and force protection of combatant ships in confined waters.

Five ships were built, these being named after constellations.

In 2000, an upgraded version of the Argos-class entered service in the Portuguese Navy. This new version was initially referred as the Argos (2nd series)-class, but it is now usually referred to as the Centauro-class patrol boat.

It is to note, that from 1963 to 1975, the Portuguese Navy employed a class of large patrol boats that was also designated Argos-class.