Brussels, July 3, 2026 (Lusa) - The European Commission on Friday proposed the creation of five joint European Union defence projects, with Portugal participating in three of them, relating to drones, air defence systems and maritime security.
In a statement, the European Commission noted that these five projects aim to “help European Union (EU) countries strengthen their defence capabilities by jointly developing military systems”.
“The new projects provide a framework for cooperation that enables EU countries to work together on major defence initiatives that are too ambitious or complex to be developed by a single country,” the European Commission states.
Portugal is participating in three of these projects proposed today by the European Commission, namely the one entitled DECODER, which, according to the government, “aims to equip European armed forces with modern, adaptable, scalable and interoperable drone and anti-drone systems”.
According to the European Commission, this project will expand the production capacity for these systems and create a “European Network of Drone Technology Centres”, which will facilitate testing, innovation and the “rapid modernisation of the armed forces”.
Another project including Portugal aims to create a joint European architecture for maritime defence and seabed protection, strengthening the EU’s capacity to “prevent, detect, deter and respond to threats” in this area.
The government notes that this project will support “the joint procurement of naval platforms, submarine systems, unmanned systems and submarine warfare capabilities”.
“The project will strengthen the protection of critical maritime and subsea infrastructure, including ports, offshore installations, submarine cables, oil and gas pipelines,” emphasises the European Commission.
The third project involving Portugal aims to develop a “collective and effective integrated air and missile defence capability”, through “early warning capabilities and command and control considerations”.
The aim is to ensure not only that the states participating in this project acquire “relevant capabilities” in this area, but also that “different national solutions can be effectively included and employed jointly, including sensors, interception systems and command and control mechanisms”.
In addition to these three projects that include Portugal, the two others presented today by the European Commission relate to space and the defence of the EU’s eastern flank.
The Council of the EU, which represents the governments of the member states, will now have to approve these projects so that they can receive European funding; an initial allocation of €325 million is planned, to be mobilised through the European Defence Industrial Programme.
“The funding will support the initial implementation phase of the projects and lay the foundations for possible additional funding through the future European Competitiveness Fund,” says the European Commission.
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