Polícia Aérea

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= "Polícia Aérea"
Air Police


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country= Portugal
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branch= Air Force
type= Military police
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aircraft_transport=The "Polícia Aérea" (PA) (Air Police) is the military police of the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF). The primary mission of the Air Police is to guarantee the security and immediate defense of the Air Force units in the Portuguese territory. Outside the national territory, it exerts its mission of supporting the air units detachments or of independent air means. Other missions include:
* Protection and defense of the Air Force's infrastructures, material and personnel;
* Detection and inactivation of explosive devices;
* Combat search and rescue;
* Force protection of PoAF personnel and aircraft.

Organization

The Air Police is an Arm of its own inside the Air Force, and each PoAF base unit has, normally, one Police Post organized in the following way:
* Command;
* Operational Squad,
** Instruction Sector,
** Field Fire Range,
** Criminal Investigation teams;
* Support Squad,
** Identification and Control Sector,
** Equipment and Material Sector,
** Armament Section;

Units

Current units:
* "Unidade de Protecção de Força" (UPF) (Force Protection Unit) — Force protection, VIP protection, counter-terrorism, and combat search and rescue unit.Former units
* "Resgate em Combate" (RESCOM) — Combat search and rescue unit. Disbanded in 2006 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMVOxEXn3c]

Equipment

Firearms

* 7.62 mm Braço de Prata G3 m/61 assault rifle;
* 5.56 mm Heckler & Koch G36 service assault rifle;
* 9 mm Taurus submachine gun;
* 9 mm Heckler & Koch MP5 A3, MP5K and MP5 SD6 submachine gun;
* 9 mm Heckler & Koch UMP submachine gun (special forces);
* 4.6x30 mm Heckler & Koch MP7 A1 personal defense weapon;
* 12.7 mm M82 Barrett rifle sniper rifle;
* 7.62 mm Sako TRG-22 sniper rifle;
* 7.62x51 mm Heckler & Koch MSG-90 A1 sniper rifle (special forces);
* 7.62 mm Rheinmetall MG3 general purpose machine gun;
* 12.7 mm Browning .50 heavy machine gun;
* 5.56 mm FN Minimi light machine gun (special forces);
* 9 mm Walther P38 service pistol;
* 9 mm Heckler & Koch USP service pistol;
* 9 mm Heckler & Koch USP Compact (special forces);
* 40 mm Heckler & Koch HK69 A1 grenade launcher;
* 66 mm M72 LAW m/78 grenade launcher.

Vehicles

* Ferret Mk.2 (retired);
* Condor UR-425 [http://www.areamilitar.net/DIRECTORIO/TER.aspx?nn=17&P=77&R=FA] ;
* DAF YP-408.

Anti-Air Artillery

* 20 mm Reinmetall Rh-202 m/81 Anti-Aircraft Cannon

External links

* "Polícia Aérea" course badge [http://www.emfa.pt/www/po/crfa/especialidades/simbolos/pa.gif]