Lisbon, July 15, 2026 (Lusa) - The defence minister said on Wednesday that he was considering the possibility of joining NATO’s satellite constellation and noted that Portugal is focused on “making the Atlantic constellation a reality”.
“Our commitment at the moment is to the realisation of the Atlantic constellation, making use of resources that are always scarce, but also of new funding mechanisms that have emerged at European level,” said Nuno Melo.
The minister was speaking to the Lusa news agency and Observador radio on the sidelines of the seminar “The New Centrality of the Azores: A Strategic-Military Perspective”, which took place at the Military University Institute in Lisbon.
“For now, that is our focus; we still have some way to go before we reach the number of satellites required for that constellation,” he said.
Nuno Melo said that this “does not preclude an ongoing assessment, both within the Air Force and within the General Staff of the armed forces”, of the NATO project.
When asked directly whether Portugal would also join this NATO project, as Spain has done, the defence minister said he would neither “confirm nor deny” this, indicating that “no decision has been taken at this stage”.
Last week, at the Alliance Industry Forum, held on the sidelines of the summit of NATO heads of state and government, plans were unveiled for a “mega-constellation” of satellites, which is expected to cost approximately $4 billion and does not include Portugal, which, together with Spain, is part of the Atlantic Constellation.
The minister also argued that this “is one of the areas where Portugal is well ahead of Spain”.
“When the President of the European Commission praises investment in space in Europe, she does so by singling out Portugal specifically as the country that is doing this work better than the others.”
On that occasion, the defence minister was also asked about the favourable opinion issued by the Superior Council of National Defence regarding a “potential new multinational mission”.
Asked to clarify the scope of this mission, Nuno Melo said that this is a matter that “must be treated with discretion due to the specific nature of the conflict, the sensitivity of public communication itself, and the need to ensure a set of conditions that will lead to confirmation of the Portuguese State’s readiness”.
“Portugal is prepared, within a context of security and a ceasefire, to help ensure navigability in a strait, to an extent that will need to be specified at a later date. For now, this readiness stands, treated with the utmost discretion, because we are talking about a situation which, on a global scale, is significant and sensitive, but which calls for such discretion,” he said.
When asked whether this mission is related to the Strait of Hormuz, Nuno Melo replied: “It concerns Portugal’s contribution alongside its allies so that, provided there is such a guarantee of security and, of course, a ceasefire, we can assist in the effort to the extent of our technical capabilities, drawing on the armed forces.”
“The announcement of this decision depends on circumstances that cannot yet be taken for granted, but it ensures that Portugal is a credible partner to its allies and that, should we be called upon to do so, we will take a step forward in a collective effort, for the common good, whilst taking all the necessary precautions,” he added.
In his speech during the seminar, the minister expressed the armed forces’ willingness to contribute “to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, when conditions permit”.
On 18 June, the defence minister said that Portugal is open to participating in mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz using unmanned vehicles and is considering increasing its participation in European missions in the Middle East.
At the time, Nuno Melo indicated that “all of this is being considered and will be brought before the Superior Council of National Defence in due course”.
FM/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
