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Defence

Heavy-lift helicopter with a Bambi bucket releasing water over an active wildfire perimeter at dusk.

Nuno Melo Hands the Forças Armadas a Standing Authorisation to Move on Wildfires Without a Prior Civil-Protection Request — Monte Real Operations Centre Pulls P-3C CUP+, C-295M, Drones and a Black Hawk Onto the Heat-Wave Watch

Defence Minister Nuno Melo on 19 June hands the Forças Armadas a standing authorisation to act on wildfires without a prior civil-protection request, with a permanent Monte Real operations centre running P-3C CUP+, C-295M, drones and a Black Hawk on heat-wave watch.
The Portugal Brief
Aerial wildfire surveillance scene over a Portuguese interior landscape

Portugal Heat Wave Lifts Seven Districts to IPMA Aviso Amarelo for the 21-22 June Window — 23 Inland Concelhos Hit Perigo Máximo de Incêndio as Nuno Melo and Luís Neves Stand Up a Monte Real Operations Centre

IPMA places seven districts under aviso amarelo from 09:00 Saturday 21 June to 18:00 Sunday 22 June as inland maximums push 40°C; 23 concelhos shift to perigo máximo de incêndio and the Defence and Interior ministries stand up a Monte Real operations centre.
The Portugal Brief
Nuno Melo Joins the Brussels NATO Defence Ministerial Ahead of the Hague Summit — €6.12 Billion 2025 Spend Lands the 2% GDP Bar Four Years Early as the €5.8 Billion SAFE Loan Application Frames the Frigate-Armour-Satellite-Drone Stack to 2030

Nuno Melo Joins the Brussels NATO Defence Ministerial Ahead of the Hague Summit — €6.12 Billion 2025 Spend Lands the 2% GDP Bar Four Years Early as the €5.8 Billion SAFE Loan Application Frames the Frigate-Armour-Satellite-Drone Stack to 2030

Defence Minister Nuno Melo lands in Brussels for the 18 June NATO Defence Ministerial with Portugal's 2025 spending at €6.12 billion (2% of GDP) — four years ahead of schedule — and a €5.8 billion SAFE-loan file covering frigates, armour, satellites and drones through 2030.
The Portugal Brief
Assembleia da República Spurns PCP and Bloco de Esquerda Lajes Inquiry Proposals on 3 June — PSD, Chega, PS, IL and CDS Block Formal Probe of US Base Use During Iran Operations

Assembleia da República Spurns PCP and Bloco de Esquerda Lajes Inquiry Proposals on 3 June — PSD, Chega, PS, IL and CDS Block Formal Probe of US Base Use During Iran Operations

Parliament rejected on 3 June PCP and Bloco de Esquerda proposals for a formal inquiry into the Government's authorisation of US use of the Lajes airbase during the Iran operation — PSD, Chega, PS, Iniciativa Liberal and CDS all voted against, leaving political scrutiny to the standing committee.
The Portugal Brief