Mechanized Brigade (Portugal)

The Mechanized Brigade (Portuguese: Brigada Mecanizada) or BrigMec is a mechanized infantry brigade in service with the Portuguese Army.[1]

Portuguese Mechanized Brigade Leopard 2 A6 during NATO exercise Trident Juncture 15.

History

The 3rd Infantry Division (3ª Divisão de Infantaria or Divisão Nun´Álvares) was created and assigned to NATO in 1953.

The Nun Alvares Division adopted an almost totally U.S. organization (and equipment), including around 20,000 men, with three infantry regiments (each reinforced with a squadron of tanks), a divisional tank battalion, three field artillery battalions and anti-aircraft, engineering, signal and logistical units. To serve as a training base for the division, the large Santa Margarida Military Camp was built. As the Nun'Álvares Division started to be mainly maintained by the 3rd Military Region (headquartered in Tomar), from 1955, it began to be officially designated as the 3rd Division.

In 1960 the "Nun Alvares" Division's organization was changed from three tactical groupings, based on infantry regiments, to three LANDCENT-type infantry brigades. In 1961 the 3rd Division organized its last large maneuvers. From 1961, the Portuguese Army's effort focused primarily on the Overseas War, with the division entering a decline.

In 1968–1976, studies were carried out to update Portugal's ground contribution to NATO for a force of different characteristics from the 3rd Division. This took form with the 1st Independent Composite Brigade (1ª Brigada Mista Independente, 1ª BMI), established in 1976. After the end of the Cold War, the brigade was redesignated the Independent Mechanized Brigade (Brigada Mecanizada Independente), which then became the Mechanized Brigade in 2006.

List of units
Portuguese Army Field Artillery Battery M109A5

The Mechanized Brigade differs from the army's other two brigades as its units aren't provided by regiments. All units of the Mechanized Brigade are part of the Mechanized Brigade at all times and are all based at the Santa Margarida Camp. The following units are part of the Mechanized Brigade:[2]

  • Mechanized Brigade, in Santa Margarida[3]
    • Command and Services Company (Companhia de Comando e Serviços)
    • Tank Group, (Grupo de Carros de Combate) with two squadrons of Leopard 2 A6
    • Mechanized Infantry Battalion, (Batalhão de Infantaria Mecanizado) with M113A1/A2 armored personnel carrier
    • Field Artillery Group, (Grupo de Artilharia de Campanha or GAC) with M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers
    • Reconnaissance Squadron, (Esquadrão de Reconhecimento or ERec) with Leopard 2 A6 and M901 ITV tank destroyers
    • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery, (Bateria de Artilharia Anti-Aérea or BtrAAA) with MIM-72A3 Chaparral surface-to-air missiles
    • Engineer Company, (Companhia de Engenharia Combate Pesado or CEngCombPes) with M60 AVLB
    • Signal Company, (Companhia de Transmissões or CTms)
    • Combat Service Support Battalion, (Batalhão de Apoio de Serviços or BApSvc)

Equipment
Armored Vehicles
Name Origin Number Image Notes
Leopard 2 A6  Germany 37 Portugal also bought 1 for training and 1 for spares. Will be modernized from 2026 to 2030.[4][5]
  • 32 are in 2 combat squadrons (GCC, Tank Battalion)
  • 5 are in the ERec, Reconnaissance Company
M901A1 ITV  United States 4 4 in service since 1993.[6]
M113 BGM-71 TOW  United States 17 M113 armored personnel carrier equipped with BGM-71 TOW
M113A1/A2  United States 208 255 M113A1/A2 APC received (208 in service)
  • 101 M113A1 received from the US in 1977
  • 104 M113A2 received from Netherlands in 1993
  • 50 M113A1 received from Germany in 1994
M106A2 mortar carrier  United States 18 10 M106 and 8 M106A2, equipped with M30 mortar.[7]
M125A1/A2 mortar carrier  United States 15 3 M125A1 and 12 M125A2, equipped with 81mm M29 mortar.
M577  United States 49 49 M577A2 (46 in service as command vehicles and three in service as ambulance vehicles)

68 received: 10 A2, in 1995, 24 A2, in 1997; 18, in 1998; 10, in 1999 and 6, in 2000.[6]

HMMWV M1025A2  United States Some units used by the Engineer Company (Companhia de Engenharia Combate Pesado or CEngCombPes)
Field artillery
M109A5  United States 18 Self-propelled howitzer. In process of overhaul (little modernization and repair)[8]
M109A2  United States 6 The Portuguese Army currently has 6 M109A2 stored at the military base of Santa Margarida. These M109A2 are part of the war reserves of the Portuguese Army and can be prepared to enter the active service.[9]
Anti-aircraft artillery
M48A2E1 Chaparral  United States 34 Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system. Some in the A2 and others in the A3 versions.
Training, engineering and recovery vehicles
Leopard 2 Driver Training Tank  Germany 1 One unit in service since 2008, used for training Leopard 2 A6 new drivers.[10]
Carro Blindado Lança Pontes M60 AVLB m/1981  United States 4 4 are in service since 1981.
M88A1/A1G Recovery Vehicle  United States 8 6 M88A1 and 2 M88A1G have been in service since 1978.
M578 light recovery vehicle  United States 29 29 in service since 1995.

References
  1. "Notícia". www.exercito.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  2. http://www.exercito.pt/sites/BrigMec/Paginas/Organizacao.aspx Official Site of the Mechanized Brigade
  3. "Brigada Mecanizada". Exército Português. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  4. Twitter https://twitter.com/defence360/status/1203604962032472064. Retrieved 2020-06-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Twitter https://twitter.com/defence360/status/1181893305891790848. Retrieved 2020-06-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Viaturas Militares Portuguesas". viaturasmilitaresportuguesas.blogspot.com (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  7. exercito.pt https://www.exercito.pt/pt/o-que-fazemos/armamento/pesado/morteiros/MORTEIRO%20M30%20107mm%20%20M/52%20-%2094. Retrieved 2020-05-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Defence 360° 😷, Victor Barreira / (2020-02-13). "The Portuguese Army Material General Support Unit (UAGME) will carry out the overhaul of an initial six BAE Systems M109A5 self-propelled howitzers. A total of 18 M109A5s are fielded by the Field Artillery Group of the Mechanized Brigade (BrigMec).pic.twitter.com/Hwl7UL17kQ". @Defence360. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  9. The Military Balance 2022. International Institute for Strategic Studies. 2022. pp. 370–371.
  10. "UM DIA NO GRUPO DE CARROS DE COMBATE | Operacional" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-30.
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