Marinha Portuguesa / Navy of Portugal - History
Portugal is said to have the oldest navy in the world, founded in the 12th century, and is a country with a long naval tradition. Created with the nationality, the Portuguese Navy and the sea merge with the nation and constitute striking features of what it means to be Portuguese. The Portuguese have ever been great seafarers, and having lived by the sea, they must not be allowed to die by it.
In the spring of 1180, the Muslims launched another attack on the Portuguese coast, with a fleet of 10 galleys under the command of Admiral Gamim ben Mardanis; with the goal to destroy the Portuguese fleet. Don Fuas Roupinho left Lisbon with nine galleys around July 15 day 1180 and met the enemy off Cape Espichel, waging a fierce battle. The Muslim were taken one by one. The Portuguese Squad, although with fewer ships, was eventually be the winner of the showdown. Don Fuas went back to Lisbon, triumphantly, and as a reward, and according to Muslim sources, the monarch will have assigned to d. Fuas the title Admiral.
During the dynastic crisis of 1383-85, a Portuguese fleet from the North forced entry into Lisbon, surrounded by land and sea by the King of Castile and restocked the harassed garrison, commanded by King John, master of Aviz. This allowed them to hold out until an epidemic at Camp forced the Spaniards to retreat. Was the action of the small fleet that made possible the survival of the beleaguered Master of Aviz.
During the Golden Age of the expansion of Portugal, it rose from the position of an obscure struggling Principality to that of the great pioneer colonising power of Europe. Prince Henry the Navigator deservedly earning for himself the name of “The Portuguese Scipio,” by establishing the vast future Colonial Empire of his people. The first fruit of Prince Henry's explorations was the rediscovery of Madeira and Porto Santo, in 1418 and 1420. The Cape Verde Islands were discovered and colonized about 1462.
In those days the Portuguese gave the name of Guinea to the country commencing at Cape Nun [a cape on the Atlantic coast of Africa, in southern Morocco], and in 1481 the king of Portugal assumed the title of Lord of Guinea. Almost every year some new advance was made.
In the middle Ages and early Modern Age, training crewmen capable of sailing across the high seas was essentially a practical task. It was governed by the rules and standards of corporations, which would first take on an apprentice, then gradually prepare him to perform his respective trade.
There was no school in the strict sense of the word, at which the appropriate knowledge would be imparted, and even the mythical "Sagres School of Navigation" was more of an idea and a policy rather than a physical reality as we understand it today.
What is true, however, is that in the most active period of Henry the Navigator’s discoveries, between 1434 and Prince Henry’s death in 1460, many seafarers circulated in and around Lagos, and it is well known that cartographers and astronomers supported the Prince’s project. Even so, crews continued to be trained mainly through a closed transfer of knowledge which generally took place at sea.
The progress of discovery for a time received a check from the death of Prince Henry. It would be improper to under-estimate the difficulties he had ever to encounter in his lifetime from the deep-rooted objection of his countrymen in general to anything pertaining to adventures over sea. They were essentially a land-loving and a farming people. Adventures were not always to be sought, especially adventures that might endanger the safety of the State. The classical idea of exchanging the plough for the oar did not appeal in the least to this nation of farmers. To them it seemed there were fields and mountains sufficient at home to cultivate without meeting the danger of the seas, and incurring other risks as well.
The Portuguese navy, which was once in as much reputation as that of any state in Europe, was by the mid-18th Century held in the greatest contempt. By 1813 the Portuguese had eight sail of the line, three frigates, and four sloops, at the Brazils. At Lisbon there were some ships of war, but they were chiefly unfit for service.
In 1826 Captain Sir Charles Napier in 1829 received the command of the Galatea of the British Royal Navy, in which he was employed on the coast of Portugal and the Azores. He here became acquainted with the Duke of Terceira and other leading constitutionalists, accepted the command of their fleet, and by his defeat of the Miguelites in a naval engagement, effected the relief of Oporto and the establishment of Donna Maria on the throne. For his services the Portuguese government created him Viscount da Capo San Vincent, with a pension of £600 a year, bestowed on him the grand cross of all the Portuguese orders, and nominated him admiral-in-chief. In the last capacity he set himself to the fruitless task of the reform of the Portuguese navy, but was constantly thwarted by official and corrupt influences, and he threw up his appointment and returned to England.
In 1857 Portugal acquired the hull construction of what would become the first Portuguese Joint Corvette Bartolomeu Dias. There followed the Stéphanie and Sagres, delivered in 1860. In 1858 the gunboat Barão de Lazarim was released to water. This was Navy's first mixed Portuguese gunboat, equipped with a 60 horsepower (HP), partially built in Portugal. The following year, is ordered in England, one that was to be the prototype of the gunboats of the period: the Portuguese Maria Anna, with a 80 Hp machine.
By 1859 the Portuguese Navy contained 37 vessels, large and small, mounting 362 guns, and employing 2118 men. Of the above, 27 sailing vessels and 5 steamers were in commission, the other 5 in ordinary. Besides these there were two on the stocks. The personnel included 1 vice-admiral, 1 rear-admiral, 4 officers of division, 10 captains of ships of the line, 20 captains of frigates, 30 lieutenant-captains, 50 first, and 100 second lieutenants: altogether 216 officers.
In 1870, the Portuguese navy consisted of 44 vessels of all classes, mounting 320 guns, and manned by 3,300 men. In 1877 the Portuguese explorer in Africa Alexandre Aalberto de la Rocha Serpa Pinto (1846–1900) and Captains Capello and Ivens of the Portuguese navy were sent on an expedition to south central Africa. The explorers left Benguella in November 1877 for the interior, but Serpa Pinto soon parted from his colleagues, who went north, while Serpa Pinto continued east. He crossed the Kwando in June 1878, and in August reached Lialui, the Barotse capital on the Zambezi, where he received help from the Rev. F. Coillard which enabled him to continue his journey down the river to the Victoria Falls, whence he turned south, arriving at Pretoria on the 12th of February 1879. He was the fourth explorer to traverse Africa from west to east.
By 1908 the 2,500 ton ironclads, the destroyers and submarines mentioned in 1907 had not yet gone beyond the “ projected ” stage. The Portuguese Government have, however, contracted with Messrs. Yarrow and Co., Ltd., Glasgow, for the construction of a shallow draft gunboat for Macao. This gunboat will be 120 ft. in length by 20 ft. beam, and will draw, loaded with 25 tons, 25 in. The guaranteed speed is 12% statute miles an hour. The propelling system is to be by means of a Yarrow water-tube boiler and engines driving two screws working in tunnels fitted with Yarrow’s patent hinged flap aft. The vessel would be constructed at Messrs. Yarrow's new works on the Clyde.
It would appear that there was something of an Augean stable to be cleared out. In the distribution of promotions and appointments, favouritism was the rule, and political and social influence counted for more than merit. Then there was a plentiful lack of the right sort of training, and, looking all round, it would seem that a great work must lie ahead. There were stocks of Coal, for example, to create, and Naval stores to build and fill. Thus there may well be hope for the Portuguese Navy. It certainly has traditions to live up to.
By 1912 the Portuguese navy consisted of 1 battleship, 5 protected cruisers, 10 torpedo boats, 4 transports, 2 destroyers, 2 submarines, I scout, and one steamer for torpedo and mine service. The naval officers number 420, and the men in the ranks over 5,000. A few destroyers and small cruisers were building in British shipyards. A new naval program was published in 1910, but it had not been adhered to. In the budget for 1911, $4,317,233 was allowed for the maintenance and increase of the navy.
From 1930, the Corporate Regime of the revolution of May 28 1926 launched a vast naval construction program, commonly known as Magellan's Correia, The Program of the then Minister of the Navy would have further justification in insurrections occurred in 1931 and extending to Madeira, the Azores, Guinea, Angola and Mozambique. Decree No. 18633 of 17 July 1930 established the Naval Program officially in 1930. Justify the reconstruction of Navy with the need to assert sovereignty in the territories and closer ties with the Portuguese communities.
The 1930 Naval plan, that must be seen as a broad guideline for the next ten year, stated that there was a requirement for a 1940 navy with
- 2 Light Cruisers (never built)
- 12 Destroyers (Five bought in england)
- 4 1st class "avisos" (two bought)
- 8 2nd class "avisos" (four built/bought)
- 8 Submarinos (three bought in England, after orders for 2+2 Italian built were canceled
- 4 Gunboats (two 1915 British ships bought second hand)
- 1 Seaplane tender (not built)
- 1 Submarine tenders (not built)
Portugal never started to build a carrier, no mater how small. The money just wasn't there. The Portuguese navy had, by the 1930s, accepted it's size limitations as a Destroyer navy, with a small destroyer flotilla for atlantic operations and a small number of "avisos" or colonial sloops for colonial duties. Since the Portuguese had geography on their side with a network of bases there was no reason to burn all the navy's money on a carrier.
In the Cold War the Portuguese navy was primarily concerned with the security of three strategically important areas: the Azores, Madeira and Portugal itself. Its colonial mission ended in 1974-75 with the loss of the remaining colonies. Well before that time, however, Portuguese forces began to decline in strength. Until 1969 the combined frigate-destroyer force remained constant at about 13 units, but then it declined rapidly and now consists of seven frigates, completed to 1950s designs between 1966 and 1970. Portugal's force of large patrol craft (PC) and her minesweeping force (supplied by U.S. and NATO aid) disappeared between 1967 and 1976 except for four minesweepers. In this period of decline the only new construction was 10 light frigates of the Joao Coutinho-class and 10 small patrol craft of the Cacine class. New frigate construction would be necessary if Portugal was to retain a serious anti-submarine capability. Her submarine force had remained constant at around three units.
The national strategy during the conflict overseas was constantly oriented in order to avoid its internationalization. Operations were always limited to the national territory actions, avoiding incidents along the borders or with other neighbouring countries forces. The only exception was the Operação Mar Verde [Operation Green Sea], unleashed in Guinea against Conakry.
In 1970, a Portuguese naval force consisting of four Large surveillance Speedboats (Orion, Cassiopeia, Dragon and Hydra), two Large landing Barges (Bombarda and amount) and the DFE-21, put the island of Soga toward Conakry. Their military objectives were the destruction of six barges-type P-6 torpedo, which the African Party for the independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) had received recently from the Soviet Union, and the release of prisoners held by that move. These goals were achieved, freeing if 26 prisoners, of whom the Sergeant pilot Lobato, who remained for more than seven years, with two escape attempts foiled. Perhaps as a result of this operation, there arose frequent presence of ships of the fleet of the Soviet Union in that area and who used the port of Conakry.
In accordance with naval development plans of 1983, by 1989 the Navy would acquire three "Kortenaer" class guided missile frigates. The first vessel, which would be constructed in the Netherlands, was to be commissioned in 1985. The others would be constructed in Portugal (under license). Acquisition of three new submarines was also planned.
The structure of Mission for the extension of the Continental Shelf, led by oceanographer Hydrographic Engineer Manuel Pinto de Abreu, drafted proposal over four years (2005-09). Through the UN, Portugal asked the Commission of Limits of continental shelf (CLCS) for a delimitation of its continental shelf which would grow from the current 1.8 million square kilometers for the 3.6 million. The project that involved a fixed group of 24 experts between scientists, biologists, geologists and lawyers, as well as other temporary group with over 70 people. They carried out over 1.8 million square kilometers of geographic and geological surveys, meaning more than 950 days of sea.
The project also included the Navy, at the level of the hydrographic Institute, and with the participation of officers and equipment and Remote Operated Vehicle, a robot submarine with ability to work up to 6000 meters deep and that only exists in five more European countries. For the Commission of Limits of continental shelves to accept the Portuguese proposal, the project had to prove that there was a geological continuity between the current platform and the rest, as well as find denominators common compositions and through the samples. Were therefore removed from the seabed more than 10 million tons of rock. The nomination was formally delivered in 2009.
The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) wants the F-35, a 5th generation American fighter plane. The F-35 allows the transmission of more data in less time, which reduces exposure to threats. The FAP has around half of its fleet equipped with F-16s. If it does not have the budget for the F-35, the FAP will modernize the F-16s.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation American aircraft designed, developed and produced by Lockheed Martin, with support from Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. It performed its 1st flight on December 10, 2006. Its special characteristic, which differentiates it from 4th generation aircraft, consists of its technological “stealth” capability, which considerably increases its operational survivability power and the vectoring capacity of the exhaust nozzles, which allows them to greater operational maneuverability, technologies that the current European defense technological and industrial base has not yet mastered.
The F-35 program was designed to encompass three aircraft variants in the same project (F-35A, F-35B, F-35C), which serve the operational requirements of the various branches of the US armed forces. the F-35B version is a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft.
European countries that are equipped with F-16 fleets, which participated in the MLU Program, after extensive and detailed comparative studies from a technical, financial, operational, logistical and industrial point of view, taking into consideration replacement versus modernization of their aircraft, have already made the political decision to replace (and not modernize) them.
It is not worth highlighting that all these countries opted, although at different times and in different forms of participation, to acquire the F-35, which is a 5th generation American-made aircraft, which, similar to the experience and lessons acquired through the exploitation of F-16s, within the framework of the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF), could facilitate the creation of a European group using F-35 fleets, with the consequent synergies and benefits of operational efficiency and logistical savings.
Portugal joined the European MLU Program in 2000 (European Participating Air Forces-EPAF; F-16 Multinational Fighter Program-MNFP). Therefore, the F-16s that equip the Portuguese air force, having been the last to be modernized under the European MLU Program, their useful life could be extended for a few more years.
Although around half of the F-16 fleet that equips the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) is close to reaching 40 years of life, they still have some structural potential. However, from an operational point of view, there are beginning to be increased economic and technological difficulties with its maintenance/use, a situation that tends to worsen as the countries that make up the EPAF receive the F-35 and, consequently, ceasing to invest in the F-16, resulting in a drastic reduction in technological synergies and economies of scale.
The acquisition of F-35s by the vast majority of European countries, including some of those that maintain responsibility for so-called “nuclear burden-sharing” (BE, NL, IT, RU), raises another important question from the point of view of new policies. , financial instruments and incentives (such as the European Defense Fund and Permanent Structured Cooperation), whose main objective is to foster European cooperation, through a growing and gradual European preference to strengthen the European defense technological and industrial base and ensure the indispensable operational interoperability.
To equip the new Juan Carlos I aircraft carrier, Spain urgently needs to replace the AV-8B Harrier, with the F-35B (STOVL) being the only valid replacement. To replace the Spanish Air Force's F-18 Hornets, two possible competitors are emerging: F-35A and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Of the group of European countries whose F-16s benefited from the European MLU Program, Portugal is the one that has not yet taken a definitive political decision on its replacement/modernization, as it still has some time off due to the fact that it was the last country to benefit from the MLU. In the future, Portugal mmay be isolated as one of the only countries using the F-16 in Europe (4th generation++), when the remaining countries will already be equipped with 5th or 6th generation aircraft, creating a “gap” of knowledge about the new aero-tactical operation concepts.
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