Spain and Portugal sign VAMTAC agreement under SAFE

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Spain and Portugal sign VAMTAC memorandum under SAFE

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 (VAMTAC) through the European “Security Action for Europe” (SAFE) instrument. The agreement was signed at the São João Batista da Foz Fortress in Porto by Spain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce, and Rear Admiral Antonio Mateus, Deputy Director-General for Armaments and Defence Assets of Portugal’s Ministry of National Defence.

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Spain’s Defence Minister, 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. The VAMTAC procurement is intended to advance modernisation and improve interoperability between the two countries’ armies.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Defence press release, the Memorandum officially confirms Portugal’s involvement in a future framework agreement to supply VAMTAC vehicles with a payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms and high tactical mobility, “[…] thereby strengthening the integration of the European industrial base”. The Spain-Portugal initiative creates a bilateral cooperation framework to develop tactical land-mobility capability around a shared platform, helping to enhance interoperability and interchangeability between the neighbouring armed forces.

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€720 million framework agreement for VAMTAC vehicle procurement

It should be noted that, in mid-April, the Spanish Government authorised the conclusion of a framework agreement worth more than €720 million for the purchase of VAMTAC tactical vehicles, with the aim of “…strengthening the strategic capability of the Armed Forces.” Likewise, the official reference published by La Moncloa specifies: “…the Framework Agreement, using the ‘Security Action for Europe’ (SAFE) instrument and 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 Spanish company Urovesa, the VAMTAC is an all-terrain, modular platform that can be adapted to operational mission requirements. It has a range exceeding 600 kilometres across any terrain and can be used in a range of configurations, including reconnaissance, recovery, command, fire support, troop transport, surveillance, ambulance, tanker and explosive ordnance disposal vehicles. It can also be fitted with machine guns, RWCS and missile launchers.

Regional and international users of VAMTAC tactical vehicles

More recently, as part of the framework agreement, the Spanish Ministry of Defence finalised a contract to purchase 15 VAMTAC ST5 vehicles in the dual-fuel BN1 variant. The VAMTAC is the standard 4×4 tactical vehicle of the Spanish Armed Forces. Its international presence has also grown through the supply of several models and prototypes to armed forces in Asia-Pacific countries such as Singapore and New Zealand. The Ukrainian Armed Forces operate VAMTAC 4×4 vehicles following the transfer of military equipment by the Spanish Government.