A Portuguese Air Force P-3C CUP+ aircraft (FAP), parked at Air Base (BA) 11, in Beja, will fly in the skies of Portugal throughout the next week, overseeing all areas of World Youth Day ceremonies 2023 (JMJ2023).
A aircraft, which has a flight autonomy of thirteen hours, can fly to 25 thousand feet in altitude and will have as its mission the surveillance and reconnaissance of the airspace of mainland Portugal, with another P-3C CUP+ ready to take off from BA11, for any eventuality.
“In addition to the activities of WYD, we will also watch the arrival, departure and travel of His Holiness Pope Francis, similar to what happened on his previous visit in 2017”, summarized Major Hélder Ferreira (na photos), commander there is 4 years of Squadron 601-”Lobos” that operate that aircraft.
The official revealed that “we will pay particular attention to possible threats in the vicinity and within the areas of the Jornadas. With your sensors, the aircraft allows the passage, In real time, of video(s) for security forces and services on the ground, in a command and control unit (High)", concluded.
According to the information transmitted by the P-3C CUP+ to the UCC, this way the terrestrial means will be activated, sea ​​or air, as is the case with the F-16M fighter planes parked at BA5, Monte Real (Leiria).
Major Helder Ferreira, justified that "the aircraft will fly throughout the next week, finishing the mission on sunday, day 6 August, WYD end date. For security reasons we will not reveal the take-off and landing times, before and after the activities of the day”, summed up.
Each P-3C CUP+ aircraft has a tactical crew of 13 elements and in addition to reconnaissance and surveillance, it has its own weapons that it can use whenever necessary., featuring a high-resolution camera in the nose that transmits and sends images in real time to the ground.
O P-3C CUP+, it is the third fastest aircraft in the world in its turboprop segment, surpassed only by the Airbus A400 and the Tupolev 195 and it will be in the skies of Portugal the eyes of the forces that are on land, in particular from the UCC.
Also from BA11, five AW119 Koala helicopters belonging to Squadron 552-”Zangões will be operational, that will form part of the aerial device “aimed at ensuring security throughout the country and pre-positioned at various points so that we can act quickly and effectively. We will operate before and after the World Youth Days” revealed Major Alexandre Silva (na photos), squadron commander.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
