Regimento Infantaria Nº 14: Operating the new Pandur II armoured vehicle

Located in the center of Portugal, in the city of Viseu, the 14th Infantry Regiment (Regimento Infantaria Nº 14) is an icconic military unit of the Portuguese Army. Nowadays, the Viriatos, as their soldiers are known, compose one of the two infantry battalions of the Brigada de Intervenção (Intervention Brigade, the medium brigade of the Portuguese Army).

This regiment is modernizing its forces and structures, namely by receiving the new family of Pandur II of wheeled armoured of vehicles. During a report with them, last February, it was possible to watch some of the field training with this new vehicles, which are being assembled in Portugal in the region of Barreiro.

A full report of the exercise has been published, this week, by the Brazilian defence website Defesa Net:

http://www.defesanet.com.br/nato/pt_viriato.htm

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Bravia Chaimite: The history of the first Portuguese-built armoured vehicle

A new article about the Chaimite armoured vehicle has been published, this time by Tankograd Militärfahrzeug, a leading publication in the area of military vehicles.

The article, fully published both in English and German, offers a comphreensive narrative of the history of the development, production and operation of this Portuguese-built vehicle which has been in operation for over almost forty years with Portuguese and foreign military and security forces. It also presents new developments and inedit photographs which complete the previous articles published by Motor Clássico. The magazine can be purchased online here.

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Brigada de Intervenção: A new combat brigade for the new century

The April issue of Fuerzas Militares del Mundo brings a comphreensive article about the Brigada de Intervenção (Intervention Brigade, the medium brigade of the Portuguese Army) focusing its structure, missions and equipments and challenges that this combat brigade, created in 2006, is facing. Special attention is given to the Pandur II armoured vehicle programme which, in the mid term, will constitute the backbone of the brigade.

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

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Cassiopeia: Surveilling the seas at fast speed

The February-March issue of the Revista de Marinha publishes a report of a mission onboard the NRP Cassiopeia, a fast patrol craft from the Portuguese Navy. The work covers not only the daily routine of the crew but also some extraordinary missions of the Cassiopeia, such as the scort of the Russian cruiser Moskva. Comprehensive data on this class of ships and their missions is also presented.

This ship is part of the Argos class which entered in service in 1991. Its primary mission is fishing surveillance aimed at combating illegal fishing in the Portuguese coast.

The report also signals my first collaboration with this leading-magazine in Portugal.

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Real Thaw 2010

Following the 2009 edition, the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) has organized once more the Real Thaw military exercise. This is an international exercise focused on Close Air Support (CAS) and modern air combate operations in a scenario which closely resembles Afghanistan. In the 2010 edition a total of 1,000 military and 50 aicraft from Portugal, Belgium, Dennamark, Spain, Lituania and United States (along with a NATO E-3A AWACS aircraft) have been involved in the day and night missions.

The Brazilian website Defesa Net has published a report convering the exercise. You can check the full article in the following adress:

http://www.defesanet.com.br/10_02/100202_05_realthaw2010.htm

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Monte Real: Home of the Portuguese F-16 fleet

The May and June issues of the Spanish magazine War Heat have published the first and second part of an article which I wrote together with Juan Carlos Pando (you can also visit his webpage) about the Portuguese F-16 fleet.

The article covers the history of the air base of Monte Real, where the two F-16 squadrons of the Portuguese Air Force are located, as well as the operational life of the Fighting Falcon with Portuguese colors. The MLU programme as well as new equipments, weapon systems and international exercises are also mentioned in this article.

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Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera: The history of the familiy of Portuguese military trucks (2)

The June issue of the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico brings the second part of the work covering the history of the Portuguese family of military trucks. This family of vehicles, developed by the same company which produced the Chaimite armoured vehicle, included the Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera trucks.

This second part covers the operation of the Gazela and Leopardo in the Portuguese Army, the adaptation of some vehicles for fireman corporations or the heavy Pantera truck. Besides, this article includes an one-page summary with new findings about the history of the Chaimite Portuguese-built armoured vehicle. Those include, for example, the interest of Brazil on the vehicle and tests in this country, the operational deployment in Africa with Portuguese forces and the operation by Lebanon with updated information of the recent modernization of the local fleet.

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EHM: The Portuguese Naval Aviation

The May issue of the Spanish magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo published a new article focusing the Esquadrilha de Helicópteros da Marinha (EHM, Navy Helicopter Squadron).

This new work brings updated information about the EHM, namely the future of the fleet, new detachments for the new Bartolomeu Dias frigates or the recent deployment with the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) which is conducting an anti-piracy naval operation off the coast of Somalia. Moreover, it covers technical aspects such as the new equipments and weapons systems for the Super Lynx fleet.

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

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Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera: The history of the familiy of Portuguese military trucks (1)

On its May issue, the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico publishes the first part of a work covering the history of the Portuguese family of military trucks. This family of vehicles, developed by the same company which produced the Chaimite armoured vehicle, included the Gazela, Leopardo and Pantera trucks.

The work is partially based on some interviews and documents from the Chaimite research project.
The first part of the article covers the origin of this family of vehicles, the development of their projects as well as the beginning of production of the Gazela and Leopardo trucks which were later deployed by the Portuguese military on operations in Africa. The May issue also covers the projects of the Comando Mk I light vehicle and Tigre Mk II and Comando Mk III armoured vehicles with new material, informations and photos.

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Pristina 091: New Pandur II armoured vehicles participate in military exercise

The Agrupamento Mike, which was covered on a previous report (check the article here), is presently completing its mission in Kosovo in the role of the KFOR Tactical Reserve Manoueuvre Batalion. A new battalion of the Brigada de Intervenção (Intervention Brigade, the medium brigade of the Portuguese Army) will replace it by March.

A small number of troops from the special operations are part of the 290 men Portuguese battalion [click to enlarge].

The north region of Mirandela was the scenario chosen for the military exercise Pristina 091. During a week, the 290 men of the battalion have trained several situations which they might find once in Kosovo, such as crowd riot control. One of the news of this edition of the Pristina exercises was the participation of a small group of Pandur II armoured vehicles which are being received by the Portuguese Army. So far, there are 11 vehicles in service with the infantry regiment of Vila Real, all of them in the Infantry Carrier Vehicle variant.

A total of 81 vehicles have participated in the Pristina 091, including five Pandur II armoured vehicles [click to enlarge].

The Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) variant of the Pandur II armoured vehicle. This combat variant is armed with a 12,7mm caliber machine gun. Other versions, such as the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) armed with a Steyr SP 30 turret with a 30mm canon, are part of the Portuguese purchase [click to enlarge].

A full report of the exercise was published, this week, by the Brazilian defence website Defesa Net:
http://www.defesanet.com.br/nato/pt_pristina09.htm#

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UPF: Force Protection

The Brazilian website Defesa Net has published an article introducing the recent created Unidade de Protecção de Força (UPF) of the Portuguese Air Force. This is an elite infantry force which assures the protection of the Portuguese aircraft and personnel deployed on foreign missions.

You can check the full article on the following adress:
http://www.defesanet.com.br/nato/pt_upf.htm

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Real Thaw 09

The Brazilian website Defesa Net has published an article covering the military exercise Real Thaw, organized by the Portuguese Air Force, with the participation of units from Dennamark and Spain. The article also focus the new Litening AT targeting pod which has just entered in service with the MLU fleet.

You can check the full article on the following adress:
http://www.defesanet.com.br/nato/pt_real_thaw.htm

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The prototype of a portuguese armoured vehicle

Do you know this vehicle? Do you know that it is the prototype of a light armoured vehicle developed in Portugal and successfully tested by the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR, Portuguese gendarmerie)? What was the destiny of the only two prototypes?

Find out the answers to those and other questions and many unpublished photos with the research article next month in a Portuguese magazine Topos & Clássicos...


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Chaimite: Second article published

Following a first part published in the December issue, the Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico has published on its Jannuary issue, the second part of a work covering the history of the portuguese-built Chaimite armoured vehicle.

Among the topics covered are the operational deployment of the Chaimite fleet in the Colonial War during the 1970s and the peacekeeping operations of the 1990s, details from foreign users , the Portuguese Marines fleet inclunding the history of the Armada 90 vehicle as well as other unknown aspects and curiosities such as the current status of the Portuguese and foreign vehicles or the destiny of the vehicles and prototypes.
These two articles are the result of several months of field research which has included interviews, research on archives, military units and press as part of the Chaimite Research Project. Main references and sources are indicated in the second part.

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Chaimite: First article published

The Portuguese magazine Motor Clássico has published on its December issue, the first part of the history of the portuguese-built Chaimite armoured vehicle which has been in operation with both Portuguese and foreign military and security forces since the 1970s.

This first article comprises topics such as the context which surround the development of the project, the first years of production, other projects developed by the Bravia-VM (e.g., the Leopardo truck and the Comando Mk III security vehicle) as well as a technical description of the Chaimite. Other topics will have further development in the second part of this work.
The article is the result of several months of field research which has included interviews, research on archives, military units and press as part of the Chaimite Research Project.

Pedro Monteiro