Spain and Portugal sign SAFE agreement for VAMTAC vehicles

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Spain and Portugal sign SAFE agreement for VAMTAC vehicles

On 27 August, the Spanish and Portuguese Ministries of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint procurement of high-mobility tactical all-terrain military vehicles (VAMTACs) under the European “Security Action for Europe” (SAFE) instrument. The agreement was signed at the Fort of São João Batista da Foz in Porto by Spain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce, and Portugal’s Deputy Director-General for Armament and National Defence Assets, Rear Admiral Antonio Mateus.

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Spain’s Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, and her Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo, also attended the signing ceremony. “With this signature, this memorandum and the implementation of the SAFE Programme, we are recognising not only the joint work of Spain and Portugal, but, more importantly, the European Union and a Europe of defence,” Minister Robles stated. Procuring the VAMTAC vehicles is intended to advance modernisation efforts and improve interoperability between the two countries’ armies.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Defence press release, signing the Memorandum formally brings Portugal into a future framework agreement for the supply of high-tactical-mobility VAMTAC vehicles with a payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms, “[…] thereby strengthening the integration of the European industrial base”. The Spain–Portugal initiative creates a bilateral co-operation framework to develop a tactical land-mobility capability around a common platform, helping to increase interoperability and interchangeability between the neighbouring armed forces.

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€720 million framework agreement to purchase VAMTAC vehicles

It should be noted that, in mid-April, the Spanish Government authorised the conclusion of a framework agreement worth more than €720 million to procure VAMTAC tactical vehicles, with the aim of “…strengthening the strategic capability of the Armed Forces”. Likewise, the reference published by La Moncloa states: “…the Framework Agreement, using the ‘Security Action for Europe’ (SAFE) instrument, the European SAFE Regulation, includes an addendum providing for the participation of the Portuguese Republic in the supply of these vehicles for its Armed Forces, financed in accordance with that instrument…”

Developed by the local company Urovesa, the VAMTAC is an all-terrain, modular platform that can be adapted to mission operational requirements. It has a range exceeding 600 kilometres across any terrain and can be configured for reconnaissance, rescue, command, fire support, troop transport, surveillance, ambulance, tanker and explosive ordnance disposal roles. It can also be fitted with machine guns, RWCS and missile launchers.

Regional and international users of VAMTAC tactical vehicles

More recently, within the framework agreement, the Spanish Ministry of Defence formalised a contract to buy 15 VAMTAC ST5 vehicles in the dual-fuel BN1 variant. The VAMTAC serves as the Spanish Armed Forces’ standard 4×4 tactical vehicle and has also expanded in international markets, equipping armed forces in Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore and New Zealand through the supply of various models and prototypes. Ukraine’s Armed Forces operate VAMTAC 4×4 vehicles following transfers of military equipment from the Spanish Government.