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Portugal Navy
Portugal has a strong maritime tradition dating from
the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when explorers
inspired by
Prince Henry the Navigator reached Madeira, the Azores,
and the
west coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and
sailed
on to establish the sea route to India. Although
traditionally
the service with the greatest prestige, the navy declined
during
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For a period in
the
1950s, this trend was reversed when modern frigates,
corvettes,
minesweepers, and patrol vessels were acquired through
military
assistance from the United States. After the Revolution of
1974,
the number of operational fighting vessels declined by
more than
half, from forty to seventeen.
During the colonial wars, the navy was active in
efforts to
interdict guerrilla movements on rivers, lakes, and
coastal
waters of Africa. After the withdrawal of the armed forces
from
Africa, the navy's emphasis shifted to home waters, where
its
missions have been defined as protecting the sea lanes
between
the mainland and the islands of the Azores and Madeira,
cooperating with the other services in the defense of
Portuguese
territory, patrolling the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ)
off Portugal's coast, and meeting Portugal's NATO
responsibilities in the Iberian Atlantic Command
(IBERLANT) zone
of operations
(see Portugal and NATO
, this ch.).
The chief of the naval staff (an admiral) was supported
by
the vice chief of naval staff (a vice admiral), the
continental
naval commander (also a vice admiral), the Azores naval
commander
(a rear admiral), the Madeira naval commander (a captain),
and
the Marine Corps commandant (a captain). The main naval
base was
at Alfeite near Lisbon, as was the Naval Academy. The
continental
naval command was at Portimão on the south coast. The
commanders
in the Azores and Madeira exercised the concurrent role of
NATO
island commander.
Between the end of the colonial wars in 1974 and 1992,
the
navy's personnel strength decreased from 19,400 to 15,300.
As of
early 1992, about 5,000 of the navy's personnel were
conscripts
serving for sixteen months. Standards of performance and
motivation of career NCO personnel were reported to have
been
affected by the decline. Many NCOs, trained at
considerable
expense by the navy, had departed for private sector
employment.
Lack of advancement, wage levels not commensurate with the
skills
involved, and the diminishing prestige of naval careers
were said
to be contributing factors. As a result of the flight of
technicians, previous training and fitness standards could
not be
maintained.
The principal combat vessels of the Portuguese navy
were four
frigates and three submarines of French construction and
ten
small frigates (sometimes classified as corvettes) built
in Spain
and Germany. The French frigates and submarines were
commissioned
in the late 1960s, and the corvettes were commissioned
between
1970 and 1975, although they were later modernized by the
addition of new communications and electronics gear. The
navy
also operated a number of coastal patrol and auxiliary
vessels
(see
table 13, Appendix). Three modern MEKO-200 frigates
were
commissioned in 1991. These ships, built in Germany and
financed
with the help of seven NATO members, were, at 3,200 tons,
much
larger than any other vessels in the existing fleet. They
were to
be armed with torpedoes, Harpoon surface-to-surface
missiles, the
Sea Sparrow SAM, and advanced sonar and fire-control
systems.
They would also accommodate two helicopters for
antisubmarine
operations.
Even with the addition of the MEKO frigates, Portugal
had
only a limited capability to carry out its IBERLANT
responsibilities. The main potential threats were
submarines that
might interdict the Atlantic sea lanes and mines that
could force
the closure of ports. The navy's antisubmarine warfare
capability, although improving, was still deemed
deficient,
particularly in view of the lack of air reconnaissance.
The lack
of minesweepers to operate in the Portugal-Madeira-Azores
triangle was a further shortcoming in view of the
strategic
importance of this zone for European shipping. The navy
had plans
to replace its submarines and to purchase ocean-going
patrol
vessels and minesweepers, but it was not clear how they
would be
financed.
The Marine Corps consisted of 2,500 men, of whom
approximately half were conscripts. They were organized
into two
infantry battalions and one naval police battalion. The
marines
were trained for small amphibious operations and shore
patrol
duties. In addition to light arms, their equipment
included
wheeled armored vehicles, mortars, and landing craft.
Data as of January 1993
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