Intervention Brigade (Portugal)
The Intervention Brigade (Portuguese: Brigada de Intervenção) or BrigInt is an infantry brigade in service with the Portuguese Army. It was created in 2006 from the Brigada de Intervenção Ligeira (Light Intervention Brigade), which was itself the heir of the former Special Forces Brigade (Brigada de Forças Especiais).
Organization
The brigades operational units are listed below. Under the Portuguese system regiments are responsible for the training, maintenance and sustainment of the operational units, but are not operational units themselves. I.e. the 6th Cavalry Regiment trains, maintains and sustains the Intervention Brigade's Reconnaissance Squadron and Fire Support Group, but the regiment itself is not an operational unit and not part of the brigade during wartime.
- Intervention Brigade, in Coimbra[1]
- Command and Service Company, in Coimbra
- Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment (Regimento de Cavalaria Nº 6) in Braga, with Véhicule Blindé Léger
- Fire Support Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment (Regimento de Cavalaria Nº 6) in Braga, with Commando V150 armored vehicles
- 1st Infantry Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment (Regimento de Infantaria Nº 13), in Vila Real, with Pandur II armored personnel carriers
- 2nd Infantry Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment (Regimento de Infantaria Nº 14), in Viseu, with Pandur II armored personnel carriers
- Field Artillery Group, 5th Artillery Regiment (Regimento de Artilharia Nº 5), in Vendas Novas with M114 155mm howitzers
- Anti-aircraft Artillery Battery, 1st Anti-Air Artillery Regiment (Regimento de Artilharia Anti-Aérea Nº 1) in Queluz with Stinger surface-to-air missiles
- Engineer Company, 3rd Engineer Regiment (Regimento de Engenharia Nº 3), in Espinho
- Signal Company, Signal Regiment, in Porto
- Service Support Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (Regimento de Infantaria Nº 19), in Chaves
Equipment
The Intervention Brigade (IntBde) is being equipped with the Pandur 8X8 armoured vehicle. The Artillery Regiment is currently equipped with the M114 155 mm howitzer, although there are plans to replace these with more modern towed howitzers. The Anti-air Artillery Regiment is equipped with the MIM-72 Chaparral missile. There are plans to equip the battery with the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger system in the near future.