New weapons on NATO training grounds. Portugal creates drone units

2026-03-29 14:00
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2026-03-29 14:00
The Portuguese army has created units specializing in conducting operations using combat drones, as well as anti-drone defense units, informed the command of the Portuguese Armed Forces.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Army, General Eduardo Mendes Ferrao, revealed that the first exercises using combat drones in the history of the Portuguese Armed Forces were carried out on Wednesday. They took place as part of the Strong Impact 2026 maneuvers with the participation of Portuguese, French, Romanian and Spanish troops at the training ground in the commune of Constancia, in the central part of the country. Over 400 soldiers took part in them.
– This is how we prepare the future. We have already successfully tested attack drones, which we now intend to invest in, announced Gen.
Mendes Ferrao, adding that in the future, the Portuguese army will strengthen its armament with unmanned systems produced in domestic plants. He also confirmed that an anti-drone defense unit will also be established in the coming months.
– Currently, in the face of increasingly numerous digital threats, we need command and control systems that will allow us to cooperate in an integrated manner with other types of weapons, as well as with our NATO allies – concluded General Mendes Ferrao.
From Lisbon Marcin Zatyka (PAP)
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