Portuguese Air Force joins frontline wildfire fight for first time

The Portuguese Air Force has entered the country’s frontline wildfire response for the first time, deploying two Black Hawk helicopters to fight active forest fires in a significant expansion of the military’s role in civil protection.

Defence Minister Nuno Melo said today that the aircraft are now directly engaged in operations, describing the move as a milestone in the Armed Forces’ support for emergency services as Portugal faces another high-risk wildfire season.

The deployment follows the gradual introduction of new aerial firefighting capabilities, with the minister stressing that bringing aircraft into operational service requires pilot training, infrastructure upgrades, spare parts and equipment.

Alongside the Black Hawks, the Air Force has stationed P-3 Orion and C-295 aircraft in the northern city of Vila Real to carry out early wildfire detection missions. One of the Black Hawks is based there, allowing crews to respond rapidly when fires are spotted.

Melo said that Portugal is currently rebuilding aerial firefighting capabilities that had previously been lost.

“This is a capability Portugal once had and lost. We are investing so that the Armed Forces can complement civilian emergency services and better support the population during the wildfire season,” he said.

The minister outlined a broader programme to strengthen the Air Force’s firefighting fleet over the coming years.

Heavy Canadair water-bombing aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030, while specially developed firefighting kits manufactured in the United States are expected to be fitted to C-130 Hercules transport aircraft from 2027, giving Portugal an additional fixed-wing aerial firefighting capability.

Beyond wildfire operations, Melo highlighted a broader modernisation of the Armed Forces under the European SAFE defence investment programme, which he said is nearing the end of its contractual phase.

The programme is expected to channel €5.8 billion into new military capabilities, including satellites, frigates, air defence systems, artillery, drones, ammunition and other equipment intended to strengthen Portugal’s defence while also supporting domestic emergency missions. He said the Air Force would be one of the principal beneficiaries of the investment.

Minister Melo also pointed to Portugal’s role in developing the planned European satellite constellation, saying the Portuguese Air Force has become a leading contributor to the project, which has been highlighted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an example of strategic European investment.

Nuno Melo equally cited recent procurement decisions involving Super Tucano aircraft, additional KC-390 transport planes and Black Hawk helicopters, the latter of which will also be used for medical emergency missions funded through Portugal’s PRR, Plan for Recovery and Resilience.

“The Air Force is a fundamental and strategic component of the nation,” he said, adding that further aircraft acquisitions are expected as Portugal continues to expand both its defence and civil protection capabilities.

As things stand right now, Portugal does not possess any Canadair ‘heavy duty water bombing’ aircraft itself, which is one of the reasons why it has requested these as part of the help that can come from activating the European Civil Protection Mechanism.

Early reports today suggested that four Canadairs were en-route for Portugal, two from Spain and two from Morocco. This has since changed to one from Spain and two from Italy.

The two Canadairs from Italy will be focused on helping efforts to combat the Vouzela fire, which is the only really serious wildfire ongoing at the moment, and which has already destroyed over 12,000 hectares of forestland; destroyed two homes and spread across several municipalities.

Source material: Expresso/ Lusa