Portuguese Armed Forces
Encyclopedia
The armed forces
of Portugal
, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas Portuguesas) encompasses a Navy
(Marinha), an Army
(Exército) and an Air Force
(Força Aérea). The President of Portugal
is the formal Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces but in practice they answer to the Portuguese Government
via the National Defense Minister.
The Portuguese Armed Forces are charged with protecting Portugal's sovereignty and interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. As the armed forces of one of NATO's founding nations, Portugal's military has been an active participant since 1955.
Recent operations
have included patrolling the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia (since 2009), the war in Afghanistan (since 2005), intervention in East-Timor (1999–2004), in Guinea-Bissau
(1990, 1998 and 1999), Angola (1992) and ongoing peacekeeping responsibilities in the Balkans
and Lebanon
. Bases are maintained throughout Portugal, both on the mainland and the archipelagos of Madeira
and the Azores
.
starts with the independence of Portugal from the Kingdom of León
. The leader of such revolt was the Count
Afonso Henriques
(later king Afonso I) which had inherited the second County of Portugal (Condado Portucalense) and gained control of it after defeating his mother, Countess Teresa
.
Portugal had an important role in the Reconquista
defeating the Moors
and giving the country the current geographic aspect, an achievement made by king Afonso III
. However the borders were also defended against the political ambitions of the Kingdoms of León
and Castile
.
More than a year after the war in Europe
broke out, the government of Portugal
ordered the seizure of German ships anchored in Portuguese ports following a British
request, leading to a declaration of war by Germany
. The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
(Corpo Expedicionário Português, CEP) was formed at Tancos
, made up of 30,000 soldiers, under the command of General Norton de Matos. It was decided to integrate the CEP into the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The first Portuguese soldiers arrived in France by February of 1917. A Portuguese artillery
Corps was also sent to man French batteries, which they started operating by March 1918.
The CEP would see major action at Battle of La Lys, as it became known in Portugal
or Operation Georgette/Battle of Estaires to the British
. The Portuguese 2nd Division fought against Germany's superior numbers and though the unit was almost completely lost, the Portuguese fought on. Portuguese troops also fought in Africa
, due to the colonies of Angola
and Mozambique
bordering German territories.
, during the an invasion of Portuguese enclaves in India by an Indian force of 45,000 servicemen, 8 combat ships and 42 combat aircraft. The Portuguese deployment in Goa
consisted of 3,300 Portuguese servicemen including 900 Goan militia. Portugal had no air force resources at Goa, besides two civilian aircraft which managed to evacuate civilians on the night of December the 18th, coordinated by a small Portuguese female paratroop contingent flown in from Lisbon on a civilian Super-Constellation on the 17th.
Of the four Portuguese Navy
sloops — the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
, the NRP Bartolomeu Dias
, the NRP João de Lisboa
and the NRP Gonçalves Zarco
— which were deployed to patrol the waters off Portuguese colonies in the Far East, only one, the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
, had been deployed to Portuguese India. The other sloops were deployed in Timor, Macau and in the African conflicts which had begun 8 months before the invasion. All potential naval reinforcements were positioned thousands of miles from Goa. The sloops were commissioned in 1935, being designed for long-range patrol missions, having great autonomy but slower speeds and less armament than the frigates used by Portugal in her Atlantic fleet; the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
was an obsolete combat ship used for patrol purposes. It was armed with four 120 mm guns capable of only two shots per minute, and four automatic rapid firing guns. Besides outnumbering the Portuguese presence at Goa, the Indian frigates were new ships, presenting greater displacement, equipped with modern armament and greater speed. Of the five merchant ships in Goa, at least one, the Ranger, was hit by Indian fire. The patrol craft (Lancha de Fiscalização) were equipped with one machine-gun each. All were of the Anthares class having a crew of six, one was stationed at Goa (Sirius), another at Diu (Vega) and one at Damão (Anthares); the enclaves were separated by hundreds of miles.
After 36 hours of low-intensity conflict, the Portuguese Governor, General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva
surrendered to the Indian Army
. 31 Portuguese soldiers were killed in action. 4668 Portuguese armed forces personnel were taken prisoners of war, and released six months later.
Only the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
in Goa and the patrol craft Vega in Diu saw action against the Indian Navy
, the patrol craft Sirius was rendered unusable, and the Anthares escaped from Damão to Karachi. The Afonso de Albuquerque was severely damaged during combat, yet it inflicted damage on two of the four Indian frigates that were firing on it. The battle ended after the sloop was beached and ran out of munitions, having fired over 400 rounds at the invading fleet. 5 Portuguese personnel were killed and 13, including the ship's captain, were wounded in the action. In the defence of Diu, the Vega with a crew of 6, confronted the INS New Delhi, a battle cruiser with over 1200 crew, plus various attacks from Indian Air Force
Canberra jet bombers using its sole machine-gun for defence. The captain and a sailor were killed after various strikes from the Indian Canberras.
The Portuguese Colonial War (Guerra Colonial), also known as Overseas War (Ultramar) in Portugal
or in the former colonies
as War of liberation
(Guerra de Libertação), was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies
between 1961 and 1974. It was a decisive ideological struggle and armed conflict of the cold war
in Africa
n (Portuguese Africa and surrounding nations) and Europe
an (mainland Portugal) scenarios. Unlike other European nations, the Portuguese regime did not leave its Africa
n colonies or the overseas provinces (províncias ultramarinas), during the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this period that various armed independence movements, most prominently led by communist parties who cooperated under the CONCP umbrella and pro US groups, became active in these areas, most notably in Angola
, Mozambique
and Portuguese Guinea
. The war would end when Portuguese junior military officers overthrew the regime in a bloodless coup. This later led to the independence of all Portuguese colonies.
Portuguese armed forces were stationed in Macau
until 1974, although Macau
remained under Portuguese administration until 1999.
After the conturbed transition period between 1974 and 1975, Portugal became a democratic state. Reforms on the military structure would then start to ensure it would meet the requirements for a possible Cold War conflict.
Between 1975 and 2007 several major changes were made. A Defense Ministry was created which would be in charge of the three military branches although officially the President of Portugal would be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Many units were disbanded with the end of the colonial war (mainly Infantry
) since high manpower was no longer needed and the counter-guerrilla doctrine would change to a more conventional one. The conscription for the Army and for the Navy ended in 2004 while the Air Force was professionalized a while before.
Paratroopers
(Tropas Páraquedistas) would be transferred from the Air Force to the Army in 1994 and the Commandos (Comandos) would be disbanded only to be recreated in 2002. However four years later these two special units would be joined under the same Brigade
along with the Special Operations Forces (Operações Especiais).
Military Police
would be renamed as Army Police
(Policia do Exercito) and the other two branches would receive equivalent units, the Air Police
(Policia Aérea) and the Naval Police (Policia Naval), in the Air Force and Navy respectively. In 1992 a Naval Aviation
(Aviação Naval) unit was created to give the Fleet more efficiency in coastal surveillance and maritime patrols.
Currently the Portuguese military forces number 44,900 with the majority of the manpower allocated to the Army although its Chief of Staff, General
José Ramalho, has already stated that more men are needed.
Recent defence policy has assumed that most considerable operations would be undertaken under NATO, UN, or European Union
mandates. East-Timor, Kosovo and Afghanistan are all examples; the last large scale military action of the Portuguese Armed Forces entering alone was the overseas conflict
(1961–1974). Nonetheless Portugal's Armed Forces have conducted peace-enforcing and humanitarian missions on their own in Guinea-Bissau (1990, 1998, and 1999) and Angola (1992).
All international missions assigned to the military have been fulfilled without limitations. A Military Programation Law (Lei de Programação Militar) was launched in 2002 to start the complete modernization of the Armed Forces; considerable reequipment of the military started in 2003, with Defense Minister Paulo Portas
, who managed to acquire new helicopters (Army and Air Force), submarines, IFV (Army and Navy), frigates and naval patrol boats. Ironically one of the most important issues, the replacement of the light firearms, failed during his mandate due to the soldiers clinging onto their cheap and highly reliable Heckler & Koch G3
's, made by INDEP
(the Portuguese Military factory) in Portugal.
The present government also started reequipment with the purchase of new battle tanks in early 2008, the Leopard 2A6
and new Armoured personnel carriers, Pandur II.
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces (Forças Armadas Portuguesas) encompasses a Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
(Marinha), an Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
(Exército) and an Air Force
Portuguese Air Force
The Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
(Força Aérea). The President of Portugal
President of Portugal
Portugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
is the formal Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces but in practice they answer to the Portuguese Government
Government of Portugal
The Government is one of the four sovereignty organs of the Portuguese Republic. It is also the organ that conducts politics in general in the country and is also the superior body in public administration...
via the National Defense Minister.
The Portuguese Armed Forces are charged with protecting Portugal's sovereignty and interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. As the armed forces of one of NATO's founding nations, Portugal's military has been an active participant since 1955.
Recent operations
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
have included patrolling the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia (since 2009), the war in Afghanistan (since 2005), intervention in East-Timor (1999–2004), in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
(1990, 1998 and 1999), Angola (1992) and ongoing peacekeeping responsibilities in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Bases are maintained throughout Portugal, both on the mainland and the archipelagos of Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
.
Origin
The history of the Portuguese militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
starts with the independence of Portugal from the Kingdom of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
. The leader of such revolt was the Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
(later king Afonso I) which had inherited the second County of Portugal (Condado Portucalense) and gained control of it after defeating his mother, Countess Teresa
Theresa, Countess of Portugal
Theresa of Portugal was the first ruler of independent Portugal...
.
Portugal had an important role in the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
defeating the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
and giving the country the current geographic aspect, an achievement made by king Afonso III
Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , the Bolognian , the fifth King of Portugal and the first to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, from 1249...
. However the borders were also defended against the political ambitions of the Kingdoms of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
and Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
.
World War I
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
broke out, the government of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
ordered the seizure of German ships anchored in Portuguese ports following a British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
request, leading to a declaration of war by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps was the main military force from Portugal that participated in the First World War. Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the seizure of German merchant ships resulted in Germany declaring war...
(Corpo Expedicionário Português, CEP) was formed at Tancos
Tancos
Tancos is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Vila Nova da Barquinha. It has a population of 295 inhabitants and a total area of 1.56 km².Tancos is the location of a major air base and a military academy....
, made up of 30,000 soldiers, under the command of General Norton de Matos. It was decided to integrate the CEP into the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The first Portuguese soldiers arrived in France by February of 1917. A Portuguese artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Corps was also sent to man French batteries, which they started operating by March 1918.
The CEP would see major action at Battle of La Lys, as it became known in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
or Operation Georgette/Battle of Estaires to the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
. The Portuguese 2nd Division fought against Germany's superior numbers and though the unit was almost completely lost, the Portuguese fought on. Portuguese troops also fought in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, due to the colonies of Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
bordering German territories.
Portuguese-Indian War (1961)
Units from the Portuguese Army and Navy were involved in an armed conflict with IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, during the an invasion of Portuguese enclaves in India by an Indian force of 45,000 servicemen, 8 combat ships and 42 combat aircraft. The Portuguese deployment in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
consisted of 3,300 Portuguese servicemen including 900 Goan militia. Portugal had no air force resources at Goa, besides two civilian aircraft which managed to evacuate civilians on the night of December the 18th, coordinated by a small Portuguese female paratroop contingent flown in from Lisbon on a civilian Super-Constellation on the 17th.
Of the four Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
sloops — the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
The NRP Afonso de Albuquerque was a warship of the Portuguese Navy, named after the 16th century Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque. She was destroyed in combat on 18 December 1961, defending Goa against the Indian Armed Forces invasion....
, the NRP Bartolomeu Dias
NRP Bartolomeu Dias
NRP Bartolomeu Dias was a sloop of the Portuguese Navy. The ship was the second of the , which also included the lead ship of the class, the...
, the NRP João de Lisboa
NRP João de Lisboa
The NRP João de Lisboa was a 2nd class sloop of the Portuguese Navy. She was designed to operate in the Overseas territories of Portugal....
and the NRP Gonçalves Zarco
NRP Gonçalves Zarco
The NRP Gonçalves Zarco was a 2nd class sloop of the Portuguese Navy. She was designed to operate in the Overseas territories of Portugal....
— which were deployed to patrol the waters off Portuguese colonies in the Far East, only one, the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
The NRP Afonso de Albuquerque was a warship of the Portuguese Navy, named after the 16th century Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque. She was destroyed in combat on 18 December 1961, defending Goa against the Indian Armed Forces invasion....
, had been deployed to Portuguese India. The other sloops were deployed in Timor, Macau and in the African conflicts which had begun 8 months before the invasion. All potential naval reinforcements were positioned thousands of miles from Goa. The sloops were commissioned in 1935, being designed for long-range patrol missions, having great autonomy but slower speeds and less armament than the frigates used by Portugal in her Atlantic fleet; the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
The NRP Afonso de Albuquerque was a warship of the Portuguese Navy, named after the 16th century Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque. She was destroyed in combat on 18 December 1961, defending Goa against the Indian Armed Forces invasion....
was an obsolete combat ship used for patrol purposes. It was armed with four 120 mm guns capable of only two shots per minute, and four automatic rapid firing guns. Besides outnumbering the Portuguese presence at Goa, the Indian frigates were new ships, presenting greater displacement, equipped with modern armament and greater speed. Of the five merchant ships in Goa, at least one, the Ranger, was hit by Indian fire. The patrol craft (Lancha de Fiscalização) were equipped with one machine-gun each. All were of the Anthares class having a crew of six, one was stationed at Goa (Sirius), another at Diu (Vega) and one at Damão (Anthares); the enclaves were separated by hundreds of miles.
After 36 hours of low-intensity conflict, the Portuguese Governor, General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva
Manuel António Vassalo e Silva
Manuel António Vassalo e Silva , was the 128th and last Governor-General of Portuguese India.-Background:...
surrendered to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. 31 Portuguese soldiers were killed in action. 4668 Portuguese armed forces personnel were taken prisoners of war, and released six months later.
Only the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
NRP Afonso de Albuquerque
The NRP Afonso de Albuquerque was a warship of the Portuguese Navy, named after the 16th century Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque. She was destroyed in combat on 18 December 1961, defending Goa against the Indian Armed Forces invasion....
in Goa and the patrol craft Vega in Diu saw action against the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, the patrol craft Sirius was rendered unusable, and the Anthares escaped from Damão to Karachi. The Afonso de Albuquerque was severely damaged during combat, yet it inflicted damage on two of the four Indian frigates that were firing on it. The battle ended after the sloop was beached and ran out of munitions, having fired over 400 rounds at the invading fleet. 5 Portuguese personnel were killed and 13, including the ship's captain, were wounded in the action. In the defence of Diu, the Vega with a crew of 6, confronted the INS New Delhi, a battle cruiser with over 1200 crew, plus various attacks from Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
Canberra jet bombers using its sole machine-gun for defence. The captain and a sailor were killed after various strikes from the Indian Canberras.
Colonial War
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
or in the former colonies
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
as War of liberation
War of liberation
A War of liberation is a conflict which is primarily intended to bring freedom or independence to a nation or group. Examples might include a war to overthrow a colonial power, or to remove a dictator from power. Such wars are often unconventional...
(Guerra de Libertação), was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
between 1961 and 1974. It was a decisive ideological struggle and armed conflict of the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n (Portuguese Africa and surrounding nations) and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an (mainland Portugal) scenarios. Unlike other European nations, the Portuguese regime did not leave its Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n colonies or the overseas provinces (províncias ultramarinas), during the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this period that various armed independence movements, most prominently led by communist parties who cooperated under the CONCP umbrella and pro US groups, became active in these areas, most notably in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
. The war would end when Portuguese junior military officers overthrew the regime in a bloodless coup. This later led to the independence of all Portuguese colonies.
Portuguese armed forces were stationed in Macau
Military of Macau under Portuguese rule
Macau was under Portuguese rule until 1999. Prior to the handover to the People's Republic of China, Portugal had limited military personnel in Macau; the last major military presence was in 1974. No Portuguese troops had been stationed in Macau since the Carnation Revolution in 1974...
until 1974, although Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
remained under Portuguese administration until 1999.
Recent History
Between 1975 and 2007 several major changes were made. A Defense Ministry was created which would be in charge of the three military branches although officially the President of Portugal would be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Many units were disbanded with the end of the colonial war (mainly Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
) since high manpower was no longer needed and the counter-guerrilla doctrine would change to a more conventional one. The conscription for the Army and for the Navy ended in 2004 while the Air Force was professionalized a while before.
Paratroopers
Parachute Troops School
The ETP - Escola de Tropas Páraquedistas , based in Tancos, Portugal, is a unit of the Portuguese Army and serves as the instruction center for recruitment and training of the Portuguese paratroopers...
(Tropas Páraquedistas) would be transferred from the Air Force to the Army in 1994 and the Commandos (Comandos) would be disbanded only to be recreated in 2002. However four years later these two special units would be joined under the same Brigade
Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade
The Brigada de Reacção Rápida , is a unit of the Portuguese Army which was known as BAI - Brigada Aerotransportada Independente until 2006...
along with the Special Operations Forces (Operações Especiais).
Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
would be renamed as Army Police
Portuguese Army Police
The Army Police , usually called the Lanceiros, is the provost of the Portuguese Army — being the speciality designated as Polícia Militar between 1953 and 1976...
(Policia do Exercito) and the other two branches would receive equivalent units, the Air Police
Polícia Aérea
The Polícia Aérea are a Special Forces unit, a Police unit from Portuguese Air Force. The primary mission of the Air Police is to guarantee the security and immediate defense of the Air Force units in the Portuguese territory. Outside the national territory, it exerts its mission of supporting...
(Policia Aérea) and the Naval Police (Policia Naval), in the Air Force and Navy respectively. In 1992 a Naval Aviation
Portuguese Naval Aviation
The Portuguese Naval Aviation , was the air branch of the Portuguese Navy until 1952, and is today the command of the Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships...
(Aviação Naval) unit was created to give the Fleet more efficiency in coastal surveillance and maritime patrols.
Current strength
Country financial problems, very intensive physical training and persistent lack of will of the Portuguese governments and Defense Ministers has led to a below capacity Armed Forces. Its professionalization lead to an overall reduction of 30,000 men on all three branches; the Portuguese military holds the 72nd position in the international comparison in terms of manpower.Currently the Portuguese military forces number 44,900 with the majority of the manpower allocated to the Army although its Chief of Staff, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
José Ramalho, has already stated that more men are needed.
Recent defence policy has assumed that most considerable operations would be undertaken under NATO, UN, or European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
mandates. East-Timor, Kosovo and Afghanistan are all examples; the last large scale military action of the Portuguese Armed Forces entering alone was the overseas conflict
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
(1961–1974). Nonetheless Portugal's Armed Forces have conducted peace-enforcing and humanitarian missions on their own in Guinea-Bissau (1990, 1998, and 1999) and Angola (1992).
All international missions assigned to the military have been fulfilled without limitations. A Military Programation Law (Lei de Programação Militar) was launched in 2002 to start the complete modernization of the Armed Forces; considerable reequipment of the military started in 2003, with Defense Minister Paulo Portas
Paulo Portas
Paulo de Sacadura Cabral Portas , commonly known just by Paulo Portas , is a Portuguese politician, party leader of the Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party , a member of the Portuguese Parliament and former Portuguese minister of State, National Defense and Sea Affairs.In 2011, after he...
, who managed to acquire new helicopters (Army and Air Force), submarines, IFV (Army and Navy), frigates and naval patrol boats. Ironically one of the most important issues, the replacement of the light firearms, failed during his mandate due to the soldiers clinging onto their cheap and highly reliable Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
's, made by INDEP
INDEP
INDEP - Indústrias Nacionais de Defesa, EP , originally Fábrica do Braço de Prata , is a defense industry company owned by the Portuguese Government...
(the Portuguese Military factory) in Portugal.
The present government also started reequipment with the purchase of new battle tanks in early 2008, the Leopard 2A6
Leopard 2
The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s for the West German Army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and twelve...
and new Armoured personnel carriers, Pandur II.