Mechanized Brigade (Portugal)

The Mechanized Brigade (Portuguese: Brigada Mecanizada) or BriMec is a mechanized infantry brigade in service with the Portuguese Army.

History

The Mechanized Brigade was created in 2006 from the Independent Mechanized Brigade (Brigada Mecanizada Independente), which was created from the 1st Independent Composite Brigade (1ª Brigada Mista Independente). The 1st Independent Composite Brigade was itself the heir of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ª Divisão de Infantaria or Divisão Nun´Álvares) created and assigned to NATO in 1953.

The Nun Alvares Division adopted an almost totally U.S. organization (and equipment), including around 20,000 men, with three infantry regiments (each reinforced with a squadron of tanks), a divisional tank battalion, three field artillery battalions and anti-aircraft, engineering, signal and logistical units. To serve as a training base for the division, the large Santa Margarida Military Camp was built. As the Nun'Álvares Division started to be mainly maintained by the 3rd Military Region (headquartered in Tomar), from 1955, it began to be officially designated as the 3rd Division.

In 1960 the "Nun Alvares" Division's organization was changed from three tactical groupings, based on infantry regiments, to three LANDCENT-type infantry brigades. In 1961 the 3rd Division organized its last large maneuvers. From 1961, the Portuguese Army's effort focused primarily on the Overseas War, with the division entering a decline.

In 1968-1976, studies were carried out to update Portugal's ground contribution to NATO for a force of different characteristics from the 3rd Division. This took form with the 1st Independent Composite Brigade, established in 1976.

Organization

The Mechanized Brigade ′differs from the army's other two brigades as its units aren't provided by regiments. All units of the Mechanized Brigade are part of the Mechanized Brigade at all times and are all based at the Santa Margarida Camp. The following units are part of the Mechanized Brigade:[1]

  • Mechanized Brigade, in Santa Margarida
    • Command and Service Company (Companhia de Comando e Serviços)
    • Tank Group, (Grupo de Carros de Combate) with two squadrons of Leopard 2A6 and a squadron of M60 A3 TTS
    • 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, (1º Batalhão de Infantaria Mecanizada or 1º BIMec) with M113 armored personnel carrier
    • 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, (2º Batalhão de Infantaria Mecanizada or 2º BIMec) with M113 armored personnel carrier
    • Field Artillery Group, (Grupo de Artilharia de Campanha or GAC) with |M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers
    • Reconnaissance Squadron, (Esqudrão de Reconhecimento or ERec)
    • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery, (Bateria de Artilharia Anti-Aérea or BtrAAA) with MIM-72A3 Chaparral surface-to-air missiles
    • Engineer Company, (Companhia de Engenharia or CEng)
    • Signal Company, (Companhia de Transmissões or CTrms)
    • Service Support Battalion, (Batalhão de Apoio de Serviços or BApSvcs)

Equipment
Armored Vehicles
Name Origin Number Image Notes
Leopard 2A6  Germany 37 Portugal also bought 1 for training and 1 for spares. Will be modernized from 2026 to 2030.[2][3]
  • 32 are in 2 combat squadrons (GCC, Tank Battalion)
  • 5 are in the ERec, Reconnaissance Company
M901A1 ITV  United States 4 4 in service since 1993.[4]
M113 BGM-71 TOW  United States 17 M113 armored personnel carrier equipped with BGM-71 TOW
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier  United States 255 255 M113A1/A2 APC (150 in service)
  • 101 M113A1 received from the USA in 1977
  • 104 M113A2 received from Netherlands in 1993
  • 50 M113A1 received from Germany in 1994
M106 mortar carrier  United States 18 10 M106 and 8 M106A2, equipped with M30 mortar.[5]
M125 mortar carrier  United States 15 3 M125A1 and 12 M125A2, equipped with 81mm M29 mortar.
M577  United States 49 49 M577A2 (46 in service as command vehicles and three in service as ambulance vehicles)

68 received: 10 A2, in 1995, 24 A2, in 1997; 18, in 1998; 10, in 1999 and 6, in 2000.[4]

Field artillery
M109A5  United States 18 Self-propelled howitzer. 18 M109A5. In process of overhaul

(little modernization and repair)[6]

Anti-aircraft artillery
M48A2E1 Chaparral  United States Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system. Some in the A2 and others in the A3 versions.
Training, engineering and recovery vehicles
Leopard 2 Driver Training Tank  Germany 1 One unit in service since 2008, used for training Leopard 2 A6 new drivers.[7]
Carro Blindado Lança Pontes M60 AVLB m/1981  United States 4 4 are in service since 1981.
M88 Recovery Vehicle  United States 8 6 M88A1 and 2 M88A1G are in service since 1978.
M578 light recovery vehicle  United States 29 29 in service since 1995.

References
  1. http://www.exercito.pt/sites/BrigMec/Paginas/Organizacao.aspx Official Site of the Mechanized Brigade
  2. "https://twitter.com/defence360/status/1203604962032472064". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-06-23. External link in |title= (help)
  3. "https://twitter.com/defence360/status/1181893305891790848". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-06-23. External link in |title= (help)
  4. "Viaturas Militares Portuguesas". viaturasmilitaresportuguesas.blogspot.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  5. exercito.pt https://www.exercito.pt/pt/o-que-fazemos/armamento/pesado/morteiros/MORTEIRO%20M30%20107mm%20%20M/52%20-%2094. Retrieved 2020-05-30. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. Defence 360° 😷, Victor Barreira / (2020-02-13). "The Portuguese Army Material General Support Unit (UAGME) will carry out the overhaul of an initial six BAE Systems M109A5 self-propelled howitzers. A total of 18 M109A5s are fielded by the Field Artillery Group of the Mechanized Brigade (BrigMec).pic.twitter.com/Hwl7UL17kQ". @Defence360. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  7. "UM DIA NO GRUPO DE CARROS DE COMBATE | Operacional" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-30.
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