, image = HIANG delivers airlift support in Europe for exercise Swift Response 18 (24).jpg , caption = Portuguese Pathfinder's with Italian Paratroopers. , nickname = ''Precs'' , motto = ''Deixa arder em ti a chama de ser Prec''
''Let burn in you the flame of being Prec'' , colors = , march = , ceremonial_chief = , type =

Pathfinder Pathfinder may refer to: Businesses * Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International * Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature Computing and information science * Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser * Pathfinder (w ...

, branch =

Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...

, dates = Unknown – Present day , country =

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, allegiance =

, command_structure = Aeroterrestrial Support Battalion , size = 60 elements (1 company) , role =

Close-quarters combat Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...

Cold-weather warfare
Counterinsurgency

Desert warfare In desert warfare, the heat and lack of water can sometimes be more dangerous than the enemy. The desert terrain is the second most inhospitable to troops following a cold environment. The lack of water, extremes of heat/cold, and lack of cover ma ...

Direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

Electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

Forward observer
High-altitude military parachuting

Irregular warfare Irregular warfare (IW) is defined in United States joint doctrine as "a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations." Concepts associated with irregular warfare are older than the te ...

Jungle warfare
Long-range penetration

Mountain warfare Mountain warfare (also known as alpine warfare) is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. Mountain ranges are of strategic importance since they often act as a natural border, and may also be the origin of a water source (for example, t ...

Parachuting Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...

Patrolling

Raiding Raiding may refer to: * The present participle of the verb Raid (disambiguation), which itself has several meanings * Raid (military) * Raid (video games), a group of video game players who join forces * Raiding, Austria, a town in Austria * Par ...

Reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

Signals intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...

Special reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detect ...

Tactical emergency medical services

Tracking Tracking may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Tracking, in computer graphics, in match moving (insertion of graphics into footage) * Tracking, composing music with music tracker software * Eye tracking, measuring the position of t ...

Urban warfare Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and t ...

The Air-Land Pathfinders Company ( pt, Companhia de Precursores Aeroterrestres) - known as the ''Precs'' - is a forward observer, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance unit of the

Portuguese Paratroopers The Portuguese Paratroopers ( pt, Tropas Paraquedistas) are an elite infantry assault force, representing the bulk of the airborne forces of Portugal. They were created in 1956 as part of the Portuguese Air Force, being transferred to the Portugu ...

. This unit is part of the Airborne Support Battalion which is based in Tancos. Its specialty is high altitude mission insertions through the use of

HAHO High-altitude military parachuting, or military free fall (MFF), is a method of delivering military personnel, military equipment, and other military supplies from a transport aircraft at a high altitude via free-fall parachute insertion. Two ...

and HALO jumps and reconnaissance of landing zones for other paratroopers to be dropped. It is also an operational unit for the Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade (BRR), one of the three brigades that make up the

The Unit

The Pathfinders Company is attached to the Airborne Support Battalion, of the ETP. It is a key element for aerial infiltration, through operational free fall (using HALO and

jumps), although the unit can be inserted by sea or ground transport. This unit was practically unknown by the Portuguese society in general and even on the

Portuguese Armed Forces The Portuguese Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas) are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air F ...

until very recently and is considered to be the elite of the Portuguese paratroopers. The ''Precs'' have participated in a variety of national and international exercises.

Organization

The Pathfinders Company is commanded by a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and includes: # Headquarters; # Pathfinder Detachment Alpha - includes 16 elements (1 captain, 5 sergeants, and 10 other ranks), being qualified to do HALO and HAHO jumps; # Pathfinder Detachment Bravo - includes 16 elements (1 lieutenant or 2nd lieutenant, 5 sergeants, and 10 other ranks).

The Mission

* Recon of Landings Zones for both fixed-wing and rotor aircraft and airborne drop positions, while establishing the needed assistance to air traffic control navigation and communications, in hostile conditions. * Limited direct action. * Recon on any information required by airborne Command.

Selection & Training

Only military personnel who are already qualified as paratroopers and who qualify in addition to the Operations/Operations Auxiliary course can be admitted to this company. This qualification is obtained after successfully attending the respective training given in the Parachute Regiment. :pt:Companhia de Precursores Aeroterrestres#Seleção e formação After a series of medical aptitude tests, admission tests take place. There are two days of tests in which the aim is to prove the physical and psychological endurance, the spirit of body and sacrifice necessary for the performance of the future precursor. 1st day; in the morning, a 90-meter run with a 50 kg bag; 1500 meter race with all combat gear; 8000 meter race with all combat gear; 1st day in the afternoon, a 7-meter rope climb with all war material; Swimming Evidence; 2nd day; in the morning, a 30 km march with combat gear. Whoever overcomes these tests starts the precursor/precursor assistant course the next day. Phase A The subjects taught are: Weapons, shooting, transmissions, topography, sappers, reconnaissance, patrols, close combat, first aid, technique of overcoming obstacles, nautical sports, survival, combat in urbanized areas, escape and evasion, military physical education. The course lasts for 10 weeks, after which the trainee will be able to: Get the maximum performance from the armament; Get the most out of your transmission equipment; Guide yourself as a member of a prec team using topographic maps, GPS, etc.; Apply sapper techniques; Identify material and equipment in use in military operations; Act as commander of a prec team in the execution of Patrols; Close Anticar Fight (ACar), as commander of a Prec team; Basic first aid as commander of a prec team; Obstacle crossing as commander of a Prec team; Act as commander of a Prec team in amphibious surface operations; Survive for short periods (less than 10 days) without support, in a hostile environment; Act as commander of a prec team in combat in built-up areas; Acting alone and as a team commander in supported and unsupported exfiltration. Phase B The subjects taught are: Aerial photography, meteorology, air traffic, precursor material, organization and use of precursors, launches and final exercise.

References

External links