The terms of cooperation between Portugal and Spain regarding the purchase of VAMTAC vehicles, among other aspects, will be formalised on 27 August with the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the São João Batista Fort in Porto.

When questioned by Lusa, the Ministry of National Defence stated that the vehicles are manufactured by the Spanish company Urovesa, with the incorporation of national industry, and that in addition to meeting the defined technical and operational requirements, the decision was also influenced by the fact that the Army already operates "more than one hundred" of these vehicles, "allowing the optimisation of existing capabilities".

Deliveries of the vehicles are expected to take place in phases between 2027 and 2029, the source said.

The agreement will be signed by the Deputy Director-General of Armament, Rear Admiral António Mateus, and the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce García, in a ceremony attended by the Ministers of Defence of Portugal and Spain, respectively, Nuno Melo and Margarita Robles Fernández.

Portugal plans to invest €5.8 billion in the re-equipment of the Armed Forces using funding approved by the Security for Europe Action Instrument (SAFE) – European loans at favourable prices that must be disbursed by 2030.