The Portuguese Armed Forces show their concern about the data collected by a Frontex aircraft

November 13 () –

The Portuguese Armed Forces have expressed their concern after a Frontex plane, which belongs to the British company DEA, has once again flown over the island of the Azores with the aim of “ensuring surveillance of the external border of the European Union”, collecting a large amount of data that may be used in the future by any business or foreign express.

The Portuguese newspaper ‘Diario de Noticias’ has collected the opinion of several National Guard officers who claim to be outraged that the collaboration of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) or the Navy has not been requested to carry out this operation, which General Luís Araújo interprets it as “an attack on sovereignty”.

Military sources have detailed that the aircraft is flying an average of four or six hours a day and according to the request sent to the National Guard, it would operate for a month, between October and November. However, the FAP has not received any request in this regard, despite the fact that it is one of the functions assigned to it by law.

The concern is given by the advanced technology with which this aircraft is equipped, such as radars, electro-optical equipment, sensors, satellite communications, with geographic 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” depending on 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 work of protecting and monitoring their borders, which, they say, it is not the case of Portugal.

In particular, the people in charge consulted have made public their concern that no Portuguese official is on the surveillance team and can control what is done with this data, since, according to what they point out, when this control is carried out nationally, there is no risk that others foreign military bodies get hold of these data, as can happen when operating in this way.