Portugal’s Brigada Aerotransportada Independente (Bai) Portuguese Airborne Brigade

This new Portuguese Army Brigade was created on January the 1st, 1994. The buildings, equipment and personnel used to form the new unit came from the Air Force's Corpo de Tropas Paraquedistas (Paratroopers Corp) and from the Regimento de Comandos do Exército (Army Commandos Regiment), two special and well trained units, who were disbanded on December the 31st, 1993. This new unit was created in order to respond to the international agreements taken by Portugal, as a NATO or as a UN member. That is why the Brigade was assigned to be part of NATO's Rapid Reaction Force.

The Brigada Aerotransportada Independente (BAI) is the only brigade size elite troops great unit. Since it was created to be Army's number 1 priority it began to be the first unit used in “outside” (foreign) missions: Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor. That is why one can say that the BAI leads the way.

AIRBORNE COMMAND CENTER - COMANDO DE TROPAS AEROTRANSPORTADAS ( CTAT )

The BAI depends on a regional command unit, the Comando de Tropas Aerotransportadas, from which other units depend: Escola de Tropas Aerotransportadas (ETAT) - Airborn School, Área Militar de S. Jacinto (AMSJ) - Military Camp of S. Jacinto, and Regimento de Infantaria 15 (RI15) - 15th Infantry Regiment.

This Airborne Command Center houses the Brigade Command, a Services and Command Company, a Transmissions Company and the Personnel Selection Center.

This base houses 3 Battalions:

Batalhão de Instrução (BI) - the Training Battalion

Batalhão de Apoio Aeroterrestre (BAAT) - Air and Land Support Battalion

Batalhão de Comando e Serviços (BCS) - Services and Command Battalion

Batalhão de Instrução: Responsible for the military training and the Airborne Course. After completing this Airborne Course, that includes physical training and parachute techniques, the much wanted “Green Beret” is given to the candidates. But their training is not yet completed, they still need a specialty: demolitions, gunner, etc.

This Battalion is also responsible for teaching other military personnel about tactics, weapons, etc when they are supposed to use weapons or to join a group that belongs to the Brigade.

Batalhão de Apoio Aeroterrestre: This Battalion houses the famous Precursores (Pathfinders), or Precs which are a special unit. Their mission is to be infiltrated by air, sea or land behind enemy lines and from there execute reconnaissance operations and prepare landing zones (LZ's), so that the Airborne Infantry Battalions can be launched from aircrafts. To be a Precursor the unit’s officers and sergeants must have attended the Airborne Instructor Course and passed. In this Battalion we can also find the Saltadores Operacionais de Grandes Altitudes (SOGA). They are Precursores personnel who can perform HAHO and HALO jumps. The SOGA is a Precursores specialty.

This base houses:

2º Batalhão de Infantaria Paraquedista (2BIPara) - 2nd Airborne Infantry Battalion - Companhia Anti Carro (CACar) - Anti-Tank Company

Companhia de Comando e Serviços (CCS) - Services and Command Company

Centro de Instrução de Condução Auto (CICA) - Driving Instruction Center

This base houses:

1º Batalhão de Infantaria Paraquedista (1BIPara) - 1st Airborn Infantry Battalion

Batalhão de Apoio e Serviços (BAS) - Logistic Battalion

Companhia de Comando e Serviços (CCS) - Services and Command Company

In addition to these units there is an Artillery Group, an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, a Reconnaissance Squadron, an Engineering Company and a Military Police Squadron.

The Brigade is the operational part of the Airborne Command Center. It has 3000 soldiers, including privates, sergeants and officers. This is how the personnel is distributed:

1º BIPara --> This Battalion was created in 1994 with the equipment and personnel that came from the Paratroopers Corp and from the Army's Commandos Regiment. It has 600 soldiers. This Battalion have:

3 Companhias de Atiradores (CAT) - Combat Companies

Equipment:

Israeli Galil rifles mod. AR and ARM 5,56 mm

German H&K machineguns mod. MG3 and MG42 7,62 mm

60 mm mortars

Carl Gustav Cannons

1 Comanhia Apoio de Combate (CAC) - Combat Support Company

Equipment:

Browning 12,7 mm machinegun

Spanish 40 mm Grenade Launcher Santa Barbara

81 mm mortars

Milan missiles with MIRA thermal vision

1 Companhia de Comando e Serviços (CCS) - Services and Command Company

2ºBIPara --> This Battalion, like the 1st one, was created in 1994 with the former BOPT2 (Base Operacional Paraquedista 2 - 2nd Airborne Base) personnel. It has the same structure and equipments that the 1st Battalion has.

The operational differences between this two Airborne Infantry Battalions is their mission. The 1st Battalion's mission is wild warfare, while the 2nd Battalions mission is urban warfare. But due to their training, they can perform each others missions.

CACar -----> This company was created in June of 1982. It has 3 platoons equipped with Milan missiles with MIRA thermal scopes.

BAAA ------> This Artillery Group is equipped with short-range Stinger anti-aircraft missiles .

Special thanks to “ El Lobo”

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