MISSION AND EMPLOYMENT
NRP Arpão was built at the German Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel. Having begun construction in 2005, it was christened and launched on the 19th of June of 2009, its Godmother being Dra. Maria Barroso.
Delivered to the Portuguese Navy on the 22nd of December of 2010, it arrived to the Lisbon Naval Base on the 30th of April of 2011, with Lieutenant Commander Nuno Baptista Pereira as its first captain.
Since then Arpão has been employed in several assignments, having performed the first integration by a Portuguese submarine in a NATO standing force in 2012, as well as having participated twice in the EU naval force performing humanitarian aid on the Mediterranean, known as operation SOPHIA.
Beyond several maritime area surveillance missions of national interest and cooperation with other State agencies and authorities, it also participated in several international exercises such as: SPONTEX, FOST, REP and NOBLE MARINER.
