The Portuguese Armed Forces have expressed their concern after a Frontex plane, belonging to the British company DEA, flew over the island of the Azores with the aim of «ensuring the surveillance of the external border of the European Union», collecting a large amount of data that could be used in the future by any foreign business or expression.
The Portuguese newspaper ‘Diario de Noticias’ has collected the opinion of several officers of the National Guard who claim to be indignant that neither the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) nor the Navy have been requested to collaborate in this operation, which General Luís Araújo interprets as «an attack on sovereignty».
Military sources have detailed that the aircraft is flying an average of four to six hours per day and according to the request sent to the National Guard, it would operate for one month, between October and November. However, the FAP has not received any request in this sense, despite the fact that it is one of the functions assigned to it by law.
The concern is due to the advanced technology with which this aircraft is equipped, such as radars, electro-optical equipment, sensors, satellite communications, with geographical references that allow mapping the entire coast and maritime area of the Azores. In addition, it can collect a large amount of data «to support a variety of activities» according to the aircraft’s specifications.
In the same sense, other FAP commanders have told ‘Diario de Noticias’ that Frontex provides services to those states that do not have the means to carry out the tasks of protection and surveillance of their borders, which, they assure, is not the case of Portugal.
In particular, the consulted officials have made public their concern that no Portuguese official is in the surveillance team and can control what is done with these data, since, according to them, when this control is carried out nationally, there is no risk of other foreign military bodies getting hold of these data, as it can happen when operating in this way.
