Two of the 13 Black Hawk helicopters acquired by the Ministry of Defense to fight rural fires will be part of the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) this year.
The information was given by the Minister of Defense, Nuno Melo, during the inauguration ceremony of the building to house the flight squadron 551 “Panthers”which will operate the Black Hawk.
This infrastructure located in air base no. 8 in Ovarin the district of Aveiro, represented a investment of almost two million euroswith funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
In his speech, Nuno Melo said that of the 76 aerial assets that are included in DECIR 2026, the Air Force will already have two Black Hawks on standby this summer, one of which will be for transport of operational and the other for combat and direct fire attack.
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Sérgio da Costa Pereira, clarified that so far the Air Force has already received nine Black Hawk helicoptersof which six are already operational, and the remaining four will be delivered by August.
The minister also recalled that in addition to investing in Black Hawk helicopters, the government acquired fire-fighting “kits” to install in which are currently being produced in the United States and will be installed and ready in late 2026 or early 2027.
On the same occasion, the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, presented the Air Force with the Gold Distinguished Services Medal, for the support provided to the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) in medical emergency actions, for four months, in the summer of 2025.
“The medal that we present here today represents much more than formal recognition. It represents the country’s gratitude to the men and women who daily put their lives at the service of others”, said the minister.
The minister noted that at a particularly demanding time for the national medical emergency system, in response to a request from the Ministry of Health, the Air Force directly supported INEM in emergency air transport on the continent, ensuring the continuity of an essential service.
“This support was decisive, competent, immediate and was provided with operational effectiveness that the country recognizes for the Air Force,” he stated.
During this period, 30 missions were carried out, with 32 patients treated, in more than 92 hours of flight.
