Portugal’s Air Force will receive four Black Hawk helicopters by the end of August 2026 to support medical emergency operations, the country’s defence minister Nuno Melo has announced.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee hearing on the 2026 state budget, Melo said the helicopters will be purchased using funds from the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
The new aircraft are intended to strengthen the country’s aerial medical response capacity after the Air Force was called in this year to temporarily fill the gap left by Gulf Med, the private company contracted by INEM (the national emergency service), which failed to launch operations as planned on July 1.
Melo also announced plans to acquire up to five additional Black Hawks for the Portuguese Army, with the first units expected to arrive next year, in order to boost air protection, evacuation and logistical support capabilities.
Portugal’s National Defence budget for 2026 will total €3.77 billion, a 23% increase on this year’s allocation. Meanwhile, funding for the National Detached Forces – Portuguese troops deployed abroad – will rise to €148 million, nearly double the 2025 figure to help with the “43 missions and 62 engagements” on its schedule in 2026.
Melo also announced continued improvements to military pay and allowances, with the basic allowance set to rise again next year to €400 when in 2024 it was still just €100 and rose to €300. The salaries of privates and corporals will be increased again as well, the minister added.
When it comes to military equipment, Portugal is set to invest in the upgrade of 188 Pandur armoured vehicles, with 65 already in progress, and in the replacement of ageing MC-113 vehicles. The Armed Forces are also acquiring low- and medium-altitude air defences and drones and are in the “final stages of negotiations” for the construction of a munitions factory in the country.
In terms of artillery equipment, Portugal is planning to acquire “18 howitzers and 155 shells in 2029 and eight more howitzers in 2030, likely through the French César field artillery,” as well as anti-drone systems and satellites.
The minister also highlighted ongoing investments in military housing and healthcare, including 13 renovation projects worth €30 million for encompassing state houses and military messes for 427 accommodation units, and the establishment of a new surgery centre at the Armed Forces Hospital.
