Latest news and stories about national defense in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Superior Council of National Defence has unanimously approved proposals to adjust current national military deployments and authorized a potential new multinational mission. Details regarding the nature and location of this new mission remain unspecified following the council's meeting at the Belém Palace.
Socialist leader José Luís Carneiro has criticised the government for its failure to revise the National Defence Strategic Concept, citing the delay as evidence of incompetence and a devaluation of the Azores' strategic importance.
Ceremonial return of the Portuguese Navy frigate NRP D. Francisco de Almeida following its deployment with NATO forces.
An analysis of how national defence strategies should transcend short-term political terms.
The Defence Alliance that Portugal has been part of since 1949, and of which it was a founding member, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which joined the oldest Alliance in the world, the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, is the guarantee for maintaining Portugal's independence and sovereignty. For Portugal, what is at stake at the moment...
It is justified to equip Praia da Vitória with a Naval Support Point.
CNN Portugal journalist Rolando Santos details the characteristics of the new Portuguese frigates, highlighting “two extraordinary capabilities”
Access the digital edition of the Diário de Notícias newspaper for Thursday, August 6th.
Proposals for the adjustment of deployed national forces and an unspecified “potential new multinational mission” received unanimous support.
The Superior Council of National Defence, which met this Monday at the Belém Palace, unanimously gave a favourable opinion on proposals for the adjustment of deployed national forces and a 'potential new multinational mission', which was not specified. This information is contained in a note published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic regarding the...
The information is contained in a note published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic.
The subordination of the Armed Forces to democratic political power is an essential principle of the rule of law.
A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, June 18, a volume five times higher than the average for the first ten days of June and unprecedented since mid-April, according to data from the maritime platform AXSMarine. This is the highest number in a single day since the 28 transits recorded on April 18, which coincided with a brief window of reopening for commercial traffic in this strait, through which about 20% of global oil production and other raw materials normally transit. The peak observed on Thursday followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran on Wednesday. However, discussions scheduled for this Friday in Switzerland, which were intended to begin a 60-day process to resolve the core issue of the Iranian nuclear program, have been postponed. Furthermore, mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz continue, and shipowners should act with caution until insurers restore normal coverage conditions, the maritime organization added. Iran: Negotiations scheduled for this Friday in Switzerland were cancelled. Nuno Melo admits that Portugal may participate in mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Portugal currently has 24,517 military personnel in the Armed Forces.
The Minister of National Defence stated on Thursday, June 18, that Portugal is considering joining mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz using unmanned vehicles and is studying the reinforcement of its participation in EU missions in the Middle East. Speaking to journalists after a NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels, Nuno Melo noted that a large part of the global economy depends on free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and indicated that Portugal is studying the possibility of strengthening its involvement in naval operations in the region. The minister recalled Portugal's previous participation in EU naval operations Aspides and Atalanta, and noted that any final decision would be brought before the Superior Council of National Defence.
The topic will be subject to deep reflection and broad debate until the creation of a document to be delivered to the President, Parliament, and the Government.
Portugal becomes the first European nation to operate a vessel specifically designed to carry and deploy drones.
The Minister of National Defence states that the Portuguese government took the necessary actions regarding the Lajes Air Base.
The world has changed a lot. It is an anomaly to continue with a national defence strategic concept that dates back to 2013.
There is a shortage of military personnel, pressure to strengthen Defence is growing, and there is even talk of a return to mandatory military service. Are the incentives enough to attract young people, or is it necessary to go further?
The President of the Republic visited the Santa Margarida Military Camp in Constância on Thursday.
The war in Ukraine has just entered a new phase, and this change should force us to urgently rethink some of our most comfortable certainties about the future of our Armed Forces.
Portugal’s defence minister, Nuno Melo, has announced that Portugal’s Armed Forces currently comprise 24,517 military personnel – emphasising that this is “a reversal of the downward trend” of the recent The post Portugal’s military strength ‘recovering’ – but still short of 32,000 target appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Nuno Melo insisted on a reversal of the downward trend, although the number is still far from the legal target of 32,000.
“Defence does not live by the Strategic Concept alone,” states Nuno Melo regarding the document that determines Armed Forces missions and investments. However, he guarantees that an update is “coming soon.”
Nuno Melo welcomed the reversal of the decline as “remarkable” but urged caution, stating there is “no room for euphoria.” Portugal had 29,479 military personnel in 2015 and reached a low of 23,757 in 2023.
Despite the reversal of a decade-long decline, the exact number of personnel remains unknown. Open sources in official reports are contradictory. The Socialist Party (PS) is protesting.
The election is scheduled for April 16.
