The (
Portuguese for "Air Police") or PA is the air force ground forces and special forces and military police of the
Portuguese Air Force
The Portuguese Air Force () is the air force, aerial warfare force of Portugal. Locally it is referred to by the acronym FAP but internationally is often referred to by the acronym PRTAF. It is the youngest of the three branches of the Portuguese ...
.
The Air Police has as its main symbol the blue beret with the emblem of the Air Force.
Missions
The ''Polícia Aérea'' has the following main missions, both in Portugal and abroad (namely in support to deployed air assets and units):
# Aircraft security against terrorism and hijacking
# Counterintelligence operations prevent sabotage at airbases, airport, and other military aviation assets
# Criminal investigation and military law enforcement
# Executive protection high-ranking air force officers and VIP
# Internal security and immediate defense of the Air Force facilities and sensitive areas
# Internal policing of the units and other bodies of the Air Force
# Order and security enforcement
# Security and ground defence of airbases, and other military aviation assets
# Support security and ground defence of airport
To fulfill these missions the PA has to maintain combat capability, employing appropriate tactics, specific equipment and military war dogs. It has to be able to act both in normal security conditions as in hostile environments created by acts of CBRN defense, hijack, mob, sabotage, and terrorism.
History
When created as an independent branch in 1952, the Portuguese Air Force had no military police or a permanent specialized security force to protect its bases. Initially and when needed, these tasks were entrusted to the
National Republican Guard (Portuguese
gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
). After 1957, these tasks were transferred to the
Military Police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
of the
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army () is the land component of the Portuguese Armed Forces, 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 ...
.
At the same time some units of the Air Force created ''ad hoc'' police detachments, sometimes referred to as ''Polícia da Aeronáutica'' (Aeronautics Police). One of the first of such detachments was the police corps created by the
Lajes Air Base
Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base (; ), officially designated Air Base No. 4 (''Base Aérea N.º 4'', BA4) , is a multi-use airfield near Lajes and northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. It is home to the Port ...
, on 31 May 1955, made up of one officer, one sergeant and 32 airmen.
In the late 1950s the Portuguese Air Force finally creates a permanent ''Polícia Aérea'' (PA, Air Police), establishing the police and close defense
flights
Flight is the process by which an object moves without direct support from a surface.
Flight may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Flight'' (1929 film), an American adventure film
* ''Flight'' (2009 film), a South Korean d ...
(EPDP, ''esquadrilhas de polícia e defesa próxima''). Each air base should have one EPDP as part of its internal organization.
The PA force is greatly expanded after 1961, with the beginning of the
Portuguese Overseas War and the need to defend the Air Force bases located in the
theatres of operation of Angola,
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea (), called the Overseas Province of Guinea from 1951 until 1972 and then State of Guinea from 1972 until 1974, was a Portuguese overseas province in West Africa from 1588 until 10 September 1974, when it gained independence as G ...
and
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
. During this War, PA suffered more than 20 dead.
Initially the EPDP flights were made up of Military Police personnel transferred from the Army to the Air Force. However, after 1963, the PA personnel started to be recruited directly by the Air Force, receiving a specific training at the
Tancos Air Base.
In the late 1970s, following the reorganization of the Air Force bases, the former EPDP flights were replaced by the air police
squadrons (EPA, ''esquadras de Polícia Aérea''). Each EPA being made up of a headquarters, an operational flight and a support flight.
In 1981 the ''Corpo de Polícia Aérea'' (CPA, Air Police Corps) is created, headed by a Colonel or Lieutenant-Colonel, under the direct dependence of the General commanding officer of the Air Force Operational Command. This Corps groups all PA personnel and units under a single organization. The several PA units – although part of the CPA – continued to be integrated into the several Air Force bases organizations. The CPA would eventually be extinct in 1990.
Organization

The ''Polícia Aérea'' is an occupational speciality of the Portuguese Air Force, whose members are organized in mutually independent PA units, each one being subordinate to the command or base to which is assigned. At the present, no central PA organization exists.
PA field units
The standard PA field unit is the ''esquadra de polícia aérea'' (air police squadron), usually each Air Force base having one of such units assigned. Usually, the organization of an air police squadron is the following:
* Headquarters;
* Operational flight (''esquadrilha operacional''), including:
** Training sector,
** Ground fire range,
** Criminal investigation teams;
* Support flight (''esquadrilha de apoio''), including:
** Identification and control sector,
** Equipment and material sector,
** Armament section.
Special forces units
The ''Núcleo de Operações Táticas de Proteção'' (NOTP, Core of Tactical Operations of Protection) is a special forces unit of the Portuguese Air Force, being made up of ''Polícia Aérea'' members. Until recently, this unit was known as ''Unidade de Proteção de Força'' (UPF, Force Protection Unit). The NOTP is charged with missions of artillery observer, clandestine operation, combat search and rescue, counterterrorism, covert operation, defusing and disposal of exposive, direac action, electromagnetic warfare, executive protection, forward air control, force protection, hostage rescue, infiltrate the area with a helicopter and parachuting, irregular warfare, ISTAR, long-range penetration, medivac, military intelligence, mountain rescue, NBCR on operations in contaminated environments, special operations, special reconnaissance, special warfare, tactical emergency medical services, as well as other possible classified missions.
Disbanded in 2006 and also made up of PA elements, the ''Unidade de Resgate em Combate'' (RESCOM, Combat Rescue Unit) was the former special forces unit of the Portuguese Air Force.
Recruitment and training
The candidates to the occupational specialty of ''Polícia Aérea'' receive specific training at the
Military and Technical Training Center of the Air Force
The Military and Technical Training Center of the Air Force () or CFMTFA is the unit responsible for the military, humanistic, technical and scientific training of the personnel of the Portuguese Air Force. It is located in Ota ( Alenquer Municipa ...
located at
Ota. Depending on the prior qualifications of the candidate, this training lasts 30, 25 or 20 weeks. Officer candidates must hold a bachelor's degree as the minimum prior qualification.
Uniform
The members of the ''Polícia Aérea'' wear the same uniforms of the rest of the members of the Portuguese Air Force, however with a blue
beret
A beret ( , ; ; ; ) is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap made of hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre.
Mass production of berets began in the 19th century in Southern France and the north of History of Spain (1808 ...
instead of the standard
side
Side or Sides may refer to:
Geometry
* Edge (geometry) of a polygon (two-dimensional shape)
* Face (geometry) of a polyhedron (three-dimensional shape)
Places
* Side, Turkey, a city in Turkey
* Side (Ainis), a town of Ainis, ancient Thessaly, ...
or
peaked cap
A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...
s. In some occasions, a white
brassard
A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm; the term typically refers to an item of uniform worn as part of military uniform or by police or other uniformed persons. Unit, role, rank b ...
with the letters "PA" in blue is used. In the past, a blue helmet with a white stripe and white "PA" letters was used, but this uniform item has been discontinued.
Equipment
Infantry weapons
Vehicles
References
External links
ANPA Air Police National Association
UPF in Real Thaw 11 exercise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Policia Aerea
Portuguese Air Force
Military provosts of Portugal
Air force police agencies
Military of Portugal