On Tuesday, the Slovak Republic and Portugal signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation as part of the visit of Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) to Portugal, where he met with his counterpart Nuno Melo. Kaliňák expressed interest in Portuguese drones and KC-390 aircraft, according to a report by the Lusa news agency via TASR.
During the visit, Kaliňák focused on collaboration in drone production, visiting leading Portuguese unmanned technology manufacturers Beyond Vision and Tekever. “Portugal developed this technology even before the war in Ukraine. We are very interested in this type of cooperation,” he stated. He also visited OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal, which operates in the aviation sector and provides aircraft engine maintenance for the Slovak Armed Forces.
Kaliňák discussed purchasing KC-390 aircraft from the Brazilian company Embraer. Portugal operates several of these planes, which it equips with its own technology to meet NATO and EU standards. The Slovak minister will also visit the Beja Air Base, where domestic and foreign pilots train on these aircraft.
The partners also addressed cooperation within a NATO multinational brigade, which currently hosts 123 Portuguese soldiers in Lešť. Melo praised Slovakia’s tradition in ammunition production, noting it as an area where Portugal could draw inspiration. “Within the EU, we fully recognize the need to strengthen the European pillar of NATO defense. This must happen primarily in our countries and through agreements between European states, which can lead to greater and better development of the defense industry,” Melo said during the meeting.
Source: TASR
