The Air Force is responsible for ensuring the support of the air resources assigned to it and which form part of the National Forces System and, in this particular, the operationality of the P-3C CUP+ aircraft, to carry out all the aforementioned missions, with the necessary degree of readiness, carrying out rigorous planning of various factors, including the planning of repair and maintenance actions for the aforementioned means and the management of their remaining life cycle, as their replacement by a similar capacity in the medium term.
Following good international relations, it became known that the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has available for sale, in a “whole package deal” concept, the entire inventory of its P-3C fleet, consisting of six aircraft, Mid sets -Life Upgrade (MLU), spare parts, support equipment and test benches, as well as flight simulators and tactical procedures.
The acquisition of the entire fleet inventory from Germany appears as an opportunity to guarantee the operation of the P-3C CUP+ weapons system in the coming years without significant constraints, ensuring support with high levels of availability, as, without such resources, the The increase in current aircraft readiness rates, which progressively experience increasing periods of unavailability due to the need for maintenance actions for which there is no material available on the market, will be compromised.
Based on the above, considering the need to guarantee adequate availability of the P-3C CUP+ weapons system, the Government understands that it is in the interest of the Portuguese State to acquire from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany the inventory of its P-3C fleet, available for alienation.
The acquisition of the entire inventory of the P-3C fleet made available by the Federal Republic of Germany, consisting of six aircraft, Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) sets, spares, support equipment and test benches, as well as flight simulators and tactical procedures, for a maximum amount of EUR 45,000,000.00, exempt from VAT, the budgetary costs of which cannot exceed, in each economic year, the following amounts:
- a) 2023 – EUR 9,000,000.00;
- b) 2024 – EUR 9 000 000,00;
- c) 2025 – EUR 9,000,000.00;
- d) 2026 – EUR 9,000,000.00;
- e) 2027 – EUR 9,000,000.00.