Spain and Portugal sign VAMTAC agreement under SAFE

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Spain and Portugal sign VAMTAC agreement under SAFE

On 27 August, the Spanish and Portuguese Ministries of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering the joint procurement of high-mobility tactical all-terrain military vehicles (VAMTAC) through the European Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. The agreement was signed at the Fortress of São João Baptista da Foz in Porto by Spain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce, and Portugal’s Deputy Director-General for Armaments 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. “Through this signing, this memorandum and the implementation of the SAFE Programme, we are highlighting not only the joint work of Spain and Portugal, but, more importantly, the European Union and a Europe of defence,” Minister Robles stated. The VAMTAC vehicle acquisition is intended to advance modernisation efforts and enhance interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces.

According to a Spanish Ministry of Defence press release, the Memorandum formally confirms Portugal’s participation in a future framework agreement for the supply of high-mobility tactical VAMTAC vehicles with a 1,500-kilogram payload capacity, “[…] thereby strengthening the integration of the European industrial base”. As stated, the Spanish-Portuguese initiative establishes a bilateral cooperation framework to develop tactical land-mobility capability around a shared platform, enabling greater interoperability and interchangeability between the neighbouring armed forces.

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€720 million framework agreement for the purchase of VAMTAC vehicles

It should be noted that, in mid-April, the Spanish Government authorised a framework agreement worth more than €720 million for the acquisition of VAMTAC tactical vehicles, intended to “...strengthen the strategic capability of the Armed Forces”. The briefing published by La Moncloa also states that: “...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...”

VAMTAC tactical vehicle capabilities

Developed by Spanish company Urovesa, the VAMTAC is a modular, versatile all-terrain platform designed to meet mission operational requirements. It has a range exceeding 600 kilometres across any terrain and can be configured for exploration, rescue, command, fire support, troop transport, reconnaissance and 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 finalised a contract for the purchase of 15 VAMTAC ST5 vehicles in the dual-fuel BN1 version. The VAMTAC serves as the standard 4×4 tactical vehicle of the Spanish Armed Forces, while its international presence has also grown through the supply of various models and prototypes to armed forces in Asia-Pacific countries, including Singapore and New Zealand. Ukraine’s Armed Forces operate VAMTAC 4×4 vehicles following the transfer of military equipment by the Spanish Government.