Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army (Portuguese: Exército Português) 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. It is one of the oldest armies in the world, established in the 12th century.
History
The history of the Portuguese Army is directly connected to the history of Portugal.
National defence
The land forces fought for Portuguese independence against the Leonese and the Moors in the 12th century, against the Castilian invaders in the 14th century, against the Spanish Habsburgs in the 17th century, and against French invaders in the Peninsular War in the 19th century. They were re-trained by the British under the direction of Lieutenant General William Carr Beresford after the 1809 Battle of Corunna. The first major battle of the Anglo Portuguese army was the Battle of Bussaco in 1810, the success of which gave the inexperienced troops confidence in their abilities. The infantry and artillery went on to perform very well up until the final Battle of Toulouse (1814) when news arrived of Napoleon's abdication.
Foreign campaigns
Since the 15th century, the land forces have also participated in Portuguese foreign and overseas campaigns – in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Europe. In the 20th century, the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps participated in World War I on the side of the Allies in the European western front and Africa.
Colonial War
The army participated in colonial war from 1961 to 1974, in Angola, Goa, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde. At the other oversees possessions, East Timor and São Tomé and Príncipe, there was a military presence but no guerrilla organizations. In 1961, the isolated and relatively small Portuguese Army suffered a defeat against a largely superior Indian Army in the colony of Portuguese India, which was subsequently lost to the Union of India in the same invasion. The counterinsurgency campaigns in Africa had various degrees of success ranging from almost victory in Angola to total and conventional war in Portuguese Guinea. This war ended after the Carnation Revolution military coup of April 1974 in Lisbon and subsequently independence of the colonies.
European/NATO focus
After the independence of the colonies and the normalization of Portuguese political affairs the Portuguese army returned to the barracks and began the process of changing from an oversized colonial and counter-insurgency army to a conventional European army, including drastic personnel reduction, disbanding of some units, acquisition of new arms and equipment, reorganizing units and roles, fielding new headquarters and becoming fully professional. These took several decades and the defined purposes and roles have somehow changed due to external causes like the end of the Cold War as well internal causes like available budget, political changes and the acceptance and desires of the Portuguese people regarding its armed forces.
Peace missions
In the 21st century, the Portuguese Army has participated in several peace missions, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, East-Timor, and Afghanistan – where it has a Comandos company deployed. In December 2005, a Portuguese commando died in an incident in Afghanistan when a bomb trap was detonated.
Order of battle
Central structure
The Portuguese Army is led by the Army Chief of Staff and includes:
- Army Staff (EME);
- Functional Commands:
- Training and Doctrine Command (CmdID)
- Logistic Command (CmdLog)
- Personnel Command (CmdPess)
- Land Forces Command (CFT)
- Operational Formations and Military Zones:
- Mechanized Brigade (BriMec)
- Rapid Reaction Brigade (BriRR)
- Intervention Brigade (BrigInt)
- Azores Military Zone (ZMA)
- Madeira Military Zone (ZMM)
- Main Military Schools:
- Military Academy (AM)
- Army Sergeant School (ESE)
- School of the Military Medical Service (ESSM)
Base units
- Units of the Mechanized Brigade (BriMec)
- Units of the Rapid Reaction Brigade (BriRR)
- Units of the Intervention Brigade (BrigInt)
- General support unitsThe Portuguese Army Base Structure units serve as administrative bases responsible for the cantonment and support of the operational units of the army's formations, military zones and general support forces. For historical reasons, most of the base units are called regiments and are associated with an arm of service. By arm of service, these units are:
- Cavalry:
- 2nd Lancers Regiment (RL2) at Lisbon
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment (RC3) at Estremoz
- 6th Cavalry Regiment (RC6) at Braga
- Army Light Aviation Unit (UALE) at Tancos
- Artillery:
- 1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (RAAA1) at Queluz
- 4th Artillery Regiment (RA4) at Leiria
- 5th Artillery Regiment (RA5) at Vendas Novas
- Infantry:
- 1st Infantry Regiment (RI1) at Tavira
- 3rd Infantry Regiment (RI3) at Beja
- 10th Infantry Regiment (RI10) at Aveiro
- 13th Infantry Regiment (RI13) at Vila Real
- 14th Infantry Regiment (RI14) at Viseu
- 15th Infantry Regiment (RI15) at Tomar
- 19th Infantry Regiment (RI19) at Chaves
- Special Operations Troops Centre (CTOE) at Lamego
- Commando Troops Center (CTCmds) at Carregueira ridge (Sintra)
- Parachute Troops School (ETP) at Tancos
- Engineers:
- Communications:
- Communications Regiment (RT) at Porto
- Material Service:
- Maintenance Regiment (RMan) at Entroncamento
- Military Center of Electronics (CME) at Paço de Arcos
- Transportation Service
- Transportation Regiment (RTransp) at Lisbon
- Mixed:
- School of Services (EPS) at Póvoa de Varzim
- 1st Garrison Regiment (RG1) at Angra do Heroismo
- 2nd Garrison Regiment (RG2) at Ponta Delgada
- 3rd Garrison Regiment (RG3) at Funchal
- Army Intelligence and Military Security Center (CSMIE) at Lisbon
- School of the Arms (EA) at Mafra
- Preparatory Core of the Emergency Military Support Regiment (NPRAME) at Abrantes
Ranks
| General officers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marechal do Exército Marshal of the Army |
General General |
Tenente-general Lieutenant-general |
Major-general Major-general |
Brigadeiro-general Brigadier General |
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| OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | ||||||
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| Field officers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coronel Colonel |
Tenente-coronel Lieutenant-colonel |
Major Major |
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| OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | ||||||||
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| Company officers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitão Captain |
Tenente Lieutenant |
Alferes Ensign |
Aspirante a official Officer candidate |
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| OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-D | |||||||
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| Non-commissioned officers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sargento-mor Sergeant-major |
Sargento-chefe Chief Master Sergeant |
Sargento-ajudante Master sergeant |
Primeiro-sargento First sergeant |
Segundo-sargento Second sergeant |
Furriel Quartermaster |
Segundo-furriel Second quartermaster |
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| OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-5 | OR-5 | ||||
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| Enlisted | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo-adjunto Attached corporal |
Primeiro-cabo First corporal |
Segundo-cabo Second corporal |
Soldado Soldier |
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| OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||
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No insignia | |||||||
Equipment
Infantry Equipment
Vehicles
| Name | Origin | Type | Number | Photo | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armoured vehicles | ||||||
| Leopard 2A6 |  Germany |
Main battle tank | 37[2] | .jpg) |
28 are in 2 combat squadrons, 3 in the Command and Services Squadron | |
| M60 A3 TTS |  United States |
Main battle tank | 96 |  |
14 are in 1 combat squadron. The others are in reserve | |
| M901A1 ITV | United States |
Armoured vehicle ATGMs-launcher | 4 |  |
||
| M113 Armored Personnel Carrier | United States |
Armoured personnel carrier | 277 | .jpg) |
Called m/76. Includes 251 M113A3 and 26 M557[3] | |
| Pandur II |  Austria |
Armoured personnel carrier | 166 + 22 | .jpg) |
Several versions made under license in Portugal by Fabrequipa. Called m/07. 166 received from the original order of 240. The others were cancelled. 22 more will now be delivered. | |
| Chaimite |  Portugal |
Armoured personnel carrier | 80 | _outfitted_with_a_50_caliber_machine_gun_engages_a_large_rectangular_target_some_two_kilometers_down_range.jpg) |
Called m/67. Retired from service | |
| Commando V150 | United States |
Armoured car | 15 |  |
Called m/89. | |
| Panhard M11 |  France |
Armoured car | 38[3] |  |
Called m/89 Light. | |
| HMMWV M1025 | United States |
Armoured car | 37 |  |
Called m/00 . | |
| Engineering vehicles | ||||||
| M88 Recovery Vehicle[3] | United States |
Armoured recovery vehicle | 6 |  |
||
| M48 AVLB[3] | United States |
Armoured vehicle-launched bridge |  |
|||
Tactical Vehicles
Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 called m/98
Land Rover Defender'90 TDI 4x4- Mitsubishi L2004x4
- UMM Alter 4x4
Heavy Vehicles
Volvo D Truck 40 ton 4x2
DAF FTT Truck 38 ton 6x4
Iveco Truck- Unimog Truck
- M578 Light Recovery (29)
- M728 (3)
Artillery
- 105mm L118 Light Gun (21)
- 105mm M119 Light Gun m/98
- 105mm OTO Melara Mod 56 (discontinued, some may be used by the School of Artillery for no-live fire training, replaced by M119 Light Gun)
- 105mm M101 (discontinued, some may be used by the School of Artillery for no-live fire training)
- 155mm M114 (reactivated, may also be used by the School of Artillery for no-live fire training)
- 155mm M109A5 (18) and M109A4
Anti-Air Artillery
- Stinger surface-to-air missile
- M48A2E1 Chaparral m/90 surface-to-air missile system(30 A2 versions and 4 A3 versions)
- Double 20mm Reinmetall Rh-202 m/81 anti-aircraft gun
- Bofors 40 mm gun
- M163 Vulcan SPAAG
Others
- PASGT
- DPM Camouflage
- Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (AN/PSN-11 PLGR)
- AN/PVS-5B Night Googles
- AN/MPQ-49B Radar
- AN/PPS-5B Radar
- MQM-170A Outlaw (target drone, operated by RAAA1)[4][5]
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portuguese Army. |
- Military history of Portugal
- Portuguese Military Academy
- Army Commandos
- Army Special Operations
- Parachute Troops School
- Rapid Reaction Brigade
- Ordenanças
References
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<references />, or <references group="..." />- Jornal do Exército, official magazine
- http://www.defencetalk.com/portuguese-army-once-more-wants-the-ec635t1-helicopter-2586/
External links
- Exército Português, official website
| Branches |
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|---|---|---|
| Equipment and facilities | ||
| Organisation | ||
| Academies and colleges | ||
| Special forces | ||
| Related | ||
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