The deputy secretary of state for mobility, José Mendes, told Lusa News Agency that the government was planning the delivery of the first vessel for the end of 2020 or at the beginning of 2021.
The government, will then deliver three ships in 2012 and the remaining six will be delivered (two, every two years), he added.
The tendering process is to be launched in the upcoming weeks, Mendes said, adding that it would entail an investment of €57 million to acquire the boats and another €33 million for maintenance, with global investment reaching around €90 million.