President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has accepted the government's proposal to appoint General João Cartaxo Alves as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The announcement was published on the Presidency's website shortly before the swearing-in ceremony, which took place at 19:00. The appointment of Lieutenant General Sérgio Costa Pereira as Chief of the Air Force and the reappointment of General Eduardo Mendes Ferrão as Chief of the Army for another two years have also been confirmed. These appointments were approved by the government during an electronic Council of Ministers meeting last Friday. A few weeks ago, it was reported that the Air Force is returning to the top of the military hierarchy, a position it has not held since General Luís Araújo's term from 2011 to 2014. Traditionally, the leadership of the General Staff has alternated between the branches in three-year terms, but in the last 12 years, only the Navy and the Army have held the position. General João Cartaxo Alves took command of the Air Force in February 2022 and was reappointed in 2025. A native of Almada, he was the commander of Montijo Air Base and served in the Air Force Operational Command. He ascends to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces at a time of significant investment in Defence, with €5.8 billion allocated for modernisation and renewal of equipment and human resources across the various branches. Recall a recent interview with the general: General Cartaxo Alves: “We have never had so many people in training in the Air Force as we do now.”