António Araújo / Lusa
US refueling aircraft at Lajes Air Base
PS spoke about a movement that “is not common” but Ministry of Defense ensures that it was a normal procedure.
Last Friday, 12 Airplanes Air Force of the USA They were at the Azores. This hours before the US attack on Iran.
Part of the opposition requested clarification, the PS wanted to know if the government knew this movement that “It’s not common”according to socialist deputy Francisco César, who also leads the PS/Azores.
O Ministry of National Defense confirmed This Sunday the presence of the 12 US replenishing planes, indicating that the request of the US authorities was made on Wednesday and that was a “habitual procedure.”
In a statement, the Ministry of Defense explains: “On June 18, [quarta-feira] the US requested, through diplomatic note, authorization for 12 refueling aircraft use the base of the slabs, which was granted ”.
“In this notification, it is said that the Mission of aircraft is to support the US naval force in the Atlantic”The ministry adds to the same informative note.
The tutelage led by Nuno Melo assures that “this is a usual procedure ” And he stresses that “under the Cooperation and Defense Agreement between Portugal and the US, the use of the slabs base for parking or traffic of military aircraft is subject to prior authorization from the Portuguese State” and that the country “grants specific, quarterly or over -the -land authorizations, not only to the US but to many other countries.”
Based on these authorizations, “Military aircraft parking is usually notified with 72 hours in advance or in advance shorter, due to the unpredictability of some missions”Explains the ministry.
The Ministry of National Defense also states that the planes in the Azores are “ replenishment air ”, not being offensive air media.
The government also clarifies that “There are no US ways to combat the Lajes base for over a month” And beyond this request, issued, “by regular and appropriate roads, there was no further contact by the US authorities.”
Sources from the US Department of Defense (USA) declined to comment if the presence of these aircraft was related to the situation in the Middle East.
