Latest news and stories about air force in Portugal for expats and residents.
On the runway of the small airport in Linköping, Sweden, the constant and loud sound of the Gripen fighter jet's engine is hard to ignore. Nearby, a ground crew member, wearing a fluorescent vest and protective headphones, waits patiently. Near hangar B, another ground crew positions itself next to a fuel station waiting...
The institution explains that the intensity of the sound heard may have been influenced by external factors.
The boom heard on the central coast on Monday morning was caused by F-16M fighter jets on an operational mission, the Air Force confirmed. The noise resulted from breaking the sound barrier off the coast of Figueira da Foz. There were no casualties or damage, despite the impact being felt in several locations.
The institution explains that the intensity of the sound heard may have been influenced by external factors.
Authorities guarantee that the situation did not pose any danger to the population
Santana Lopes requested explanations and said he heard a “very strange” bang, as did people in several municipalities. An Air Force F-16 exercise involved breaking the sound barrier.
The Portuguese Air Force intercepted a Russian Federation aircraft in the Baltic states. Portuguese F-16 fighter jets and military personnel from this branch of the Armed Forces have been reinforcing the region's air defence since the beginning of April as part of a NATO mission. The Portuguese F-16M jets, deployed in Estonia, carried out the operation last Monday, April 6.
The Portuguese Air Force's firing range facility is set to be relocated to the municipality of Alter do Chão.
It is also providing debris-removal support and has doubled its high‑readiness air assets.
The Air Force emphasises that it supported INEM for four months with the air transport of patients, “ensuring the continuity of that essential service for the country”.
In 2025 the Air Force performed 5% more rescues and salvage operations.
The Air Force announced today that it directly supported 931 people last year through air medical transports, rescues and search-and-rescue missions, saying the figure represents a 5% increase compared with 2024.
The institution directly supported 931 people last year.
The Air Force says the message is “dedicated to all children, so that they keep alive the spirit and magic of this season.”
F-16 fighter jets from the Portuguese Air Force will carry out flyovers in selected areas as a gesture to wish residents a Merry Christmas.
