Defense allocates 52 million to Air Force for space support to Ukraine

The Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo, allocated 52 million euros to the Air Force for the acquisition of satellite imagery and space surveillance data in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The decision is contained in Order No. 11668/2026, signed on September 11, 2026, and published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 185, of September 23, 2026. The decree delegates to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force all powers necessary to conduct the procurement procedures.

The order draws the funds from the maximum global amount of 130,424,476.00 EUR authorized by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 128/2026, of June 19, which authorized the expenditure and the donation of lethal and non-lethal equipment, as well as other movable assets, to fulfill the international commitments assumed by Portugal in support of Ukraine during 2026. This resolution granted the member of the Government responsible for the area of national defense the decision on the distribution, allocation, and reallocation of the funds, via order.

Optical images, radar, and space surveillance

Order No. 11668/2026 bases the allocation on the capacity of the Portuguese Air Force to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the space domain. The planned acquisitions are intended for:

• Optical satellite imagery;
• Synthetic Aperture Radar technology imagery;
• Space Surveillance and Tracking data.

The text invokes the provisions of paragraph 1, subparagraph f) of paragraph 2, and paragraph 5 of Council of Ministers Resolution No. 128/2026, of June 19.

Delegation of powers to the Chief of Staff

The order delegates, with the faculty of sub-delegation, to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Sérgio Roberto Leite da Costa Pereira, the powers to perform all acts within the scope of pre-contractual procedures, up to the conclusion with the granting of contractual instruments, and also within the scope of contractual execution. The delegation covers:

• The exercise of powers to shape the contractual relationship;
• The authorization of payments;
• The fulfillment of tax obligations;
• The release of guarantees.

The decree further determines that the exercise of these powers must observe the applicable public procurement rules and that decisions must be duly justified and subject, when applicable, to the oversight of the Court of Auditors. The order enters into force on the day following its publication and takes effect from the date of signature.

Background: from 130.4 million to 207.4 million

Council of Ministers Resolution No. 128/2026, of June 19, had set the envelope at 130,424,476.00 EUR, including VAT. On September 18, 2026, Council of Ministers Resolution No. 182/2026, signed by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on September 9, amended that resolution and increased the maximum global amount to 207,365,000.00 EUR, adding new support lines such as the reception of wounded, joint acquisitions, the Comprehensive Assistance Package NATO (CAP UKR NATO), the Drones Coalition, the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), the Information Technology Coalition (IT Coalition), the Czech Initiative, the maintenance, repair, and modernization of vehicles and platforms (MRO), ammunition, and intergovernmental protocols and contracts.

The allocation to the Air Force follows other decisions from the same day, September 11. Order (extract) No. 11504/2026 allocated 58,424,476.00 EUR to the Navy, within the framework of participation in the Maritime Capability Coalition, delegating powers to the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Jorge Manuel Nobre de Sousa. Order No. 11505/2026 allocated 524,900.00 EUR to the Army for the transport of M113 family tracked armored vehicles donated to Ukraine, with delegation to the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Eduardo Manuel Braga da Cruz Mendes Ferrão. Both were published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 182, of September 18, 2026.

With this funding, the Air Force now has 52 million euros to contract Earth observation and space surveillance services, in a process where the conduct of procedures is concentrated in the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The execution of expenses is limited to the year 2026, under the terms set by the amended resolution, and the obligation to justify procurement decisions and submit them to the scrutiny of the Court of Auditors remains.

Source: Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 185, of September 23, 2026, Part C — Government and direct and indirect state administration (official reference: Order No. 11668/2026).