It is the percentage of the moment: 5%. Everyone talks about it: 5%. Portugal will have to do so too: 5%. 5% of GDP in defense investment. Trump therefore won his percentage war: he wanted 5% of everyone, he will have 5% of all apparently. Or almost, Spain has other intentions. But Spain What is from Spain and Portugal what is from Portugal: what do they really imply 5% here? For starters: “If you need more people in the Portuguese Armed Forces, they have to be paid as it should be”
For Portuguese ambassador António Martins da Cruz, there is no doubt: “Portugal knows where its security comes from – from the transatlantic alliance”. And that is why the country initially allocating 3.5% of GDP to what the diplomat calls “pure and hard defense”: weaponry modernization, better response capacity of troops and direct investment in the armed forces. The remaining 1.5% may include European funds for infrastructure or indirect industrial support to the defense.
“We have 10 years to renew weaponry. The F-16, the Navy and Army’s equipment need to be updated. But this has to be done with planning. And if more people in the Armed Forces need to be paid as it should be,” said CNN Portugal António Martins da Cruz.
According to Major-General Isidro de Morais Pereira, this investment “is not an option, it is an existential need.” Although the amount now allocated may seem expressive, it is “just a drop in an ocean of accumulated needs.” The Major General recalls that the Portuguese defense is far from complying with the minimums established in the so -called “Defense 2020”, which provided 32,000 staff in the permanent armed forces – a value that was never reached.
“Our ability to respond to real threats, such as the ballistic missiles we saw in the recent attack of Iran to Israel, is zero, is zero,” he warns. “We have no minimally effective anti -aircraft capacity against modern threats. This is not a defense in the 21st century. It is time for Portugal to do homework and honor the commitments it has made.”
The initial investment of 3.5% of GDP should focus precisely for Isidro de Morais Pereira, in the creation of nonexistent capabilities: air defense systems, strategic weapons and ammunition reserves, surveillance and maritime interception and reinforcement of dissuasion in the national territory and islands.
“The country has to be able to protect the Palace from Belém, the Assembly of the Republic, its dams, solar plants, airports, ports, critical infrastructure. Today, where are our shelters? And if we are invaded? The population is completely exposed,” argues the Major General.
The pressure to modernize hang over the air force. , namely the company’s number two, with the objective of integrating the country in the F-35 program, as a natural substitution to the F-16.
“This program, by itself, would imply an approach of approximately five billion euros. But before we think of improving what we have, we need to build what we do not have. It is a matter of priorities,” says Isidro de Morais Pereira. For the Major General, the fighters are useful but more urgent is to ensure anti-aircraft coverage of the national and overseas territory.
Pay better – but it doesn’t
Experts are unanimous at one point: compulsory military service is not on the table. But there will be a need to attract thousands of young people from contract or professional. And that requires conditions.
“You have to pay better. You need to dignify the military career,” says ambassador António Martins da Cruz. “And salaries, both of the Armed Forces and GNR, are included in this 3.5%envelope. We must do intelligent and continuous management.”
The attraction of staff is far from just a salary issue. It implies facilities with better conditions, modern equipment, contractual stability, training programs and above all the valorization of the military mission within the Portuguese society.
The NATO summit in Hague made it clear that the commitment to the 5% of GDP has no exceptions, going against the statements of the Spanish government. “Spain has tried to circumvent this commitment to unconcerned arguments and will bitterly regret the decisions it is making. The Spanish military is deeply embarrassed by this government attitude,” says Major-General Isidro de Morais Pereira.
“This was a Spanish government fantasy to distract public opinion from the great difficulties that the government has internally. Now, with NATO’s statement they have to swallow what they said before,” says António Martins da Cruz.
Portugal only has to earn with a well -armed and prepared Spain. “If we are attacked, we may need them,” warn the experts. But unlike Spain – -Portugal chose without hesitation to align with US requirements. And this is not just a budget choice, it is a strategic alliance.
“Our security depends on the born, that is, it depends on the US. Who protects us from dangers and threats is not the European Union,” says ambassador António Martins da Cruz. For Major General Isidro de Morais Pereira, the Portuguese position is also a diplomatic letter. “By showing commitment, we gain confidence from our allies. And this ultimately translates into more security for us. If we want to deserve the help of others, we have to be the first to give the example.”
Portugal has a unique position on the European geostrategic board, with 97% of its territory in an exclusive marine economic zone. Therefore, it has an obligation to be able to “patrol, watch and defend this immense sea,” says the Major General. “And for that we need modern frigates, sufficient submarines and aerial media for air sovereignty.”
The Atlantic surveillance, especially on the Azores-Madeira-Continent axis, is one of the main contributions that Portugal can offer to the NATO. “There can be Russian submarines, spy drones or hybrid threats,” says ambassador António Martins da Cruz. In addition, the Portuguese position in the rear of the East Front of NATO makes the country a possible logistical and production support point. “The east flank is threatened. But the west flank is the most unprotected. We have to fill this void with responsibility. The NATO accounts with us.”
