# Polícia Aérea

The Polícia Aérea (Portuguese for "Air Police") or PA is the air force ground forces and special forces and military police of the Portuguese Air Force. The Air Police has as its main symbol the blue beret with the emblem of the Air Force.

## Missions

The Polícia Aérea has the following main missions, both in Portugal and abroad (namely in support to deployed air assets and units):
* Aircraft security against terrorism and hijacking
* Counterintelligence operations prevent sabotage at airbases, airport, and other military aviation assets
* Criminal investigation and military law enforcement
* Executive protection high-ranking air force officers and VIP
* Internal security and immediate defense of the Air Force facilities and sensitive areas
* Internal policing of the units and other bodies of the Air Force
* Order and security enforcement
* Security and ground defence of airbases, and other military aviation assets
* Support security and ground defence of airport
To fulfill these missions the PA has to maintain combat capability, employing appropriate tactics, specific equipment and military war dogs. It has to be able to act both in normal security conditions as in hostile environments created by acts of CBRN defense, hijack, mob, sabotage, and terrorism.

## History

When created as an independent branch in 1952, the Portuguese Air Force had no military police or a permanent specialized security force to protect its bases. Initially and when needed, these tasks were entrusted to the National Republican Guard (Portuguese gendarmerie). After 1957, these tasks were transferred to the Military Police of the Portuguese Army.
At the same time some units of the Air Force created ad hoc police detachments, sometimes referred to as Polícia da Aeronáutica (Aeronautics Police). One of the first of such detachments was the police corps created by the Lajes Air Base, on 31 May 1955, made up of one officer, one sergeant and 32 airmen.
In the late 1950s the Portuguese Air Force finally creates a permanent Polícia Aérea (PA, Air Police), establishing the police and close defense flights (EPDP, esquadrilhas de polícia e defesa próxima). Each air base should have one EPDP as part of its internal organization.
The PA force is greatly expanded after 1961, with the beginning of the Portuguese Overseas War and the need to defend the Air Force bases located in the theatres of operation of Angola, Portuguese Guinea and Mozambique. During this War, PA suffered more than 20 dead.
Initially the EPDP flights were made up of Military Police personnel transferred from the Army to the Air Force. However, after 1963, the PA personnel started to be recruited directly by the Air Force, receiving a specific training at the Tancos Air Base.
In the late 1970s, following the reorganization of the Air Force bases, the former EPDP flights were replaced by the air police squadrons (EPA, esquadras de Polícia Aérea). Each EPA being made up of a headquarters, an operational flight and a support flight.
In 1981 the Corpo de Polícia Aérea (CPA, Air Police Corps) is created, headed by a Colonel or Lieutenant-Colonel, under the direct dependence of the General commanding officer of the Air Force Operational Command. This Corps groups all PA personnel and units under a single organization. The several PA units – although part of the CPA – continued to be integrated into the several Air Force bases organizations. The CPA would eventually be extinct in 1990.

## Organization

The Polícia Aérea is an occupational speciality of the Portuguese Air Force, whose members are organized in mutually independent PA units, each one being subordinate to the command or base to which is assigned. At the present, no central PA organization exists.

### PA field units

The standard PA field unit is the esquadra de polícia aérea (air police squadron), usually each Air Force base having one of such units assigned. Usually, the organization of an air police squadron is the following:
* Headquarters;
* Operational flight (esquadrilha operacional), including:
** Training sector,
** Ground fire range,
** Criminal investigation teams;
* Support flight (esquadrilha de apoio), including:
** Identification and control sector,
** Equipment and material sector,
** Armament section.

### Special forces units

The Núcleo de Operações Táticas de Proteção (NOTP, Core of Tactical Operations of Protection) is a special forces unit of the Portuguese Air Force, being made up of Polícia Aérea members. Until recently, this unit was known as Unidade de Proteção de Força (UPF, Force Protection Unit). The NOTP is charged with missions of artillery observer, clandestine operation, combat search and rescue, counterterrorism, covert operation, defusing and disposal of exposive, direac action, electromagnetic warfare, executive protection, forward air control, force protection, hostage rescue, infiltrate the area with a helicopter and parachuting, irregular warfare, ISTAR, long-range penetration, medivac, military intelligence, mountain rescue, NBCR on operations in contaminated environments, special operations, special reconnaissance, special warfare, tactical emergency medical services, as well as other possible classified missions.
Disbanded in 2006 and also made up of PA elements, the Unidade de Resgate em Combate (RESCOM, Combat Rescue Unit) was the former special forces unit of the Portuguese Air Force.

## Recruitment and training

The candidates to the occupational specialty of Polícia Aérea receive specific training at the Military and Technical Training Center of the Air Force located at Ota. Depending on the prior qualifications of the candidate, this training lasts 30, 25 or 20 weeks. Officer candidates must hold a bachelor's degree as the minimum prior qualification.

## Uniform

The members of the Polícia Aérea wear the same uniforms of the rest of the members of the Portuguese Air Force, however with a blue beret instead of the standard side or peaked caps. In some occasions, a white brassard with the letters "PA" in blue is used. In the past, a blue helmet with a white stripe and white "PA" letters was used, but this uniform item has been discontinued.

## Equipment
### Infantry weapons

| Weapon | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes |
| Pistols ||||||
| Heckler & Koch USP | Germany | Semi-automatic pistol | 9mm | Also the H&K USP Compact version is used by the special forces |
| Submachine gus ||||||
| Heckler & Koch MP5 | Germany | Submachine gun | 9mm | Also the A3, MP5K and SD6 versions are in use |
| Heckler & Koch UMP | Germany | Submachine gun | 9mm | Used by the special forces |
| Heckler & Koch MP7A1 | Germany | Submachine gun | 9mm | Used by the special forces |
| CZ Scorpion Evo 3 S1 | Czech Republic | Submachine gun | 9mm | Received in 2024. |
| Assault rifles ||||||
| Heckler & Koch HK416A5 | Germany | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | Used by the special forces and TACP |
| Heckler & Koch HK417A2 | Germany | Battle rifle | 7.62x51mm | Used by the special forces |
| Heckler & Koch G36 | Germany | Assault rifle | 5.56x45mm | Replaced some H&K G3's. Used on G36C, G36K and G36V versions |
| Heckler & Koch G3A3/A4 | Germany | Battle rifle | 7.62x51mm | Essentially used for military instruction |
| CZ BREN 2 | Czech Republic | Assault rifle | 5.56x45mm | Used by the special forces since 2020. |
| Sniper rifles ||||||
| Sako TRG-22 | Finland | Sniper rifle | 7.62x51mm | Used by the special forces |
| Heckler & Koch G28E | Germany | Sniper support rifle | 7.62x51mm | Used by the special forces |
| Heckler & Koch MSG-90 | Germany | Sniper support rifle | 7.62x51mm | Used by the special forces |
| Accuracy International AX ELR. 50 | United Kingdom | Anti-materiel rifle | 12.7x99mm | Used by the special forces |
| Machine guns ||||||
| Heckler & Koch MG4 | Germany | Light machine gun | 5.56x45mm | Used by the special forces |
| Heckler & Koch MG5 | Germany | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62x51mm | Used by the special forces since 2015 |
| Rheinmetall MG3 | Germany | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62x51mm | Also used mounted on Nissan Navara pickup's |
| Browning M2 | United States | Heavy machine gun | .50 BMG | Used on tripods and mounted on vehicles |
| Shotguns ||||||
| Fabarm STF 12 | Italy | Pump-action shotgun | 12-gauge | Used by the special forces |
| Benelli M3 | Italy | Pump-action shotgun | 12-gauge | |
| Grenade launchers ||||||
| Heckler & Koch AG36 | Germany | Grenade launcher | 40 mm grenade | Used on H&K G36 rifles |
| Mortars ||||||
| FBP Morteirete | Portugal | Mortar | 60mm | Ultra-light mortar (morteirete) |
| Anti-tank weapons ||||||
| Instalaza C90-CR | Spain | Anti-tank Rocket launcher | 90mm | |

### Vehicles

| Name | Origin | Type | Number | Notes |
| Armoured Vehicles ||||||
| Nissan Navara | Japan | Light armoured vehicle | 2 | Armor was added to the vehicle, including the bottom and cargo compartment as well as anti-bullet glass. Could be armed with Heckler & Koch MG5 or MG 3 machine gun |
| HMMWV 1165A1/B3 | United States | Armored car | 3 | |
| Condor UR-425 | Germany | Armoured personnel carrier | 12 | In service since 1981 |
| Tactical Vehicles ||||||
| Mitsubishi L200 | Japan | Light vehicle | ? | Used to patrol Portuguese Air Force bases |
| Toyota Hilux | Japan | Light vehicle | ? | Used to patrol Portuguese Air Force bases |
| Nissan Patrol | Japan | Light vehicle | ? | Used to patrol Portuguese Air Force bases |
| Unimog 1350L | Germany | Military truck | ? | Used to transport troops and cargo |
| Unmanned Vehicles ||||||
| IRobot PackBot 510 | United States | Unmanned vehicle | ? | Used for inspection and IED missions. |