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Defense

Defence policy, military affairs, and NATO commitments.

US Military Drones Land at Lajes Air Base in the Azores for Second Consecutive Night as Iran Operations Intensify

US Military Drones Land at Lajes Air Base in the Azores for Second Consecutive Night as Iran Operations Intensify

A US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper combat drone landed at Lajes Air Base on the island of Terceira in the Azores early on Friday morning, marking the second consecutive night the installation has received America's most advanced unmanned strike aircraft....

Portugal Hits 2% NATO Defense Spending Target — But Ranks Among Bottom Five Alliance Members

Portugal Hits 2% NATO Defense Spending Target — But Ranks Among Bottom Five Alliance Members

Portugal achieved NATO's long-standing defense spending benchmark of 2% of GDP in 2025, up from 1.55% the previous year—a 31.67% annual increase that brought national defense expenditure to just over €6 billion, according to NATO's latest annual...

Portugal Launches Six Satellites Aboard SpaceX — Building a 'Waze for the Oceans' and Expanding Space Autonomy

Portugal Launches Six Satellites Aboard SpaceX — Building a 'Waze for the Oceans' and Expanding Space Autonomy

Portugal achieved a milestone in its space ambitions this week when six Portuguese-built satellites launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, celebrated at Lisbon's Pavilhão do Conhecimento...

EU Approves €1.5 Billion Defense Industry Package—With Direct Implications for Portugal

EU Approves €1.5 Billion Defense Industry Package—With Direct Implications for Portugal

The European Commission approved a €1.5 billion defense industry support package on Monday, marking the EU's most aggressive push yet to strengthen its military manufacturing base—and for the first time, Ukraine will participate in an EU defense...

Gouveia e Melo Launches Military Drone Cluster to Make Portugal an Export Powerhouse

Gouveia e Melo Launches Military Drone Cluster to Make Portugal an Export Powerhouse

Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the former Navy chief who ran for president earlier this year, is pivoting from military command to defense entrepreneurship with an ambitious plan: build a cross-border military robotics cluster that transforms...