Portugal to include third submarine in Military Programming Law

Portugal's Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo, announced that the acquisition of a third submarine for the Navy will be included in the new proposal for the Military Programming Law (LPM). The announcement was made during a parliamentary hearing regarding the 2027 State Budget debate.

Melo described the submarine as a deterrent capability that few nations possess at sea. The inclusion follows previous requests from Admiral Nobre de Sousa, Chief of Staff of the Navy, to include new naval equipment in the 12-year public investment plan for the Armed Forces.

The hearing also addressed the potential replacement of F-16 fighter jets. Minister Melo stated that discussions regarding the fighter jets will only occur after the approval of the Military Programming Law, which is expected by the end of the year. He noted that the matter will be handled at the government level rather than solely within the Ministry of National Defense.