North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum - Portugal

The Portuguese Navy ensures the execution of correspondent operational tasks related to both the Blue Waters Navy Function, military by nature, and the Coast Guard Function, which is a civil-military blend, while the Chief of Navy Staff is simultaneously the National Maritime Authority.

Thus, the Navy ensures its military role and a non-military role. Therefore, the Navy operational paradigm emerges from its relevance in nowadays as a dual-role navy, enabling the same level of the two sets of activities, with both having gained a new focus.

Such approach turns possible an economy of effort, while developing important synergies, by sharing knowledge, resources and capabilities.

Portugal a Maritime Nation

Portugal is thus a country with a modest terrestrial surface, but with an immense sea under its jurisdiction. That sea must be protected, surveyed, exploited and defended, in order to safeguard national interests. That implies, not only the defence of sovereign rights, but also the assumption of national responsibilities in the maintenance of the stability, in which today's global life rests.

In order to accomplish that, the country must possess a modern Navy, capable of performing, with efficacy and efficiency, three fundamental functions:

• Military defence and support to foreign policy;
• Security, safety and state authority;
• Economic, scientific and cultural development.
   

A Dual-Role Navy

In some countries these functions are carried out by several distinct organizations: Blue Water Navies, focused on military defence and support to foreign policy; Coast Guards, committed to security, safety and state authority; and other agencies dedicated to specific tasks, such as maritime Search and Rescue, scientific investigation or maritime culture. In other countries, such as Portugal, the Navy ensures the functions typically performed by a Blue Water Navy as well as the functions typically attributed to a Coast Guard, allowing efficient use national resources.

Thus, the Portuguese Navy, whose commander is simultaneously the National Maritime Authority, ensures a military role (in defence and support to foreign policy) and a non-military role (regarding security, safety and state authority, as well as economic, scientific and cultural development), exemplifying the dual-role Navy paradigm. Such a Navy makes possible an economy of effort and develops important synergies, by sharing knowledge, resources and capabilities. Therefore, it also ensures the most efficient use of public funds, while fulfilling objectives that would otherwise demand diversified and potentially redundant structures.

The operational performance of our dual-role Navy has been certified by thorough training and evaluation processes and it is constantly evidenced by, for instance, the high success rate of the Search and Rescue service. 

Inter-Agency Articulation

Current geostrategic environment has led to the involvement of an increasing number of governmental agencies and departments in cooperative and coordinated actions in the maritime areas under national sovereignty or jurisdiction. Naturally, no state agency or department can, by itself, answer the multiple challenges presented in the Portuguese sea. Therefore, the Navy undertakes a proactive attitude, assuming a key role in the articulation of the various state actors with competences related to the sea.

With that purpose, the Navy supports the actions of other state departments, through operational protocols, such as the Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária), in the fight against drug trafficking, the Aliens Border Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras), in the fight against illegal immigration, and the Ports and Maritime Transportation Institute (Instituto Portuário e dos Transportes Marítimos, IP), in the inspection of foreign ships.

The articulation of the various governmental agencies and departments was further reinforced by the creation of the National Maritime Coordinating Centre (CNCM - Centro Nacional Coordenador Marítimo), which uses the infra-structures and facilities of the Navy's Maritime Operations Center (COMAR – Centro de Operações Marítimas). This institutional body aims to eliminate possible duplication of efforts, while guaranteeing the permanent coordination between all national and international actors.

A Navy firm in defence, committed to security and partner in development

The close liaison between the Navy and the Portuguese Nation is dictated by the Portuguese geography, namely by the vast maritime spaces of sovereignty and jurisdiction originated by the mainland territory and by thirteen Atlantic islands.

The integrated and complementary action of the Navy (ships, Marines forces, Diving Teams and Maritime Police agents) in military defence and support to foreign policy, in security, safety and state authority, and also in economic, scientific and cultural development guarantees the most efficient utilization of existing resources.

At the same time, it creates vital synergies for the country, allowing the Navy to evolve in a continuous search for excellence, with a posture and. This posture is essential for the country to continue using the sea in a degree compatible with its interests.

Contact

Portuguese Naval Staff
External affairs
POC: CDR Jose Neto

Telephone: +351213255498
Fax: +351210960834

E-mail: pais.neto@marinha.pt
Website: www.marinha.pt

Other info related: www.marinha.pt/PT/NOTICIASEAGENDA/DOUTRINA/Pages/Doutrina.aspx