Colonel Eduardo Freitas, commander of the Madeira Air Zone, highlighted the Air Force's growing role in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Speaking on the sidelines of the Porto Santo Expo, Freitas emphasized the importance of search and rescue missions, urgent patient transport, and maritime and air space surveillance.
Freitas stressed the Air Force's "great affinity" with Madeira, attributing it to the proximity of Air Base No. 3 and noting an intensification of the institution's presence over the years. Search and rescue operations and aeromedical transport between Porto Santo, Madeira, and the mainland were described as "complex" missions, often carried out in adverse conditions.
The continuous surveillance of the vast maritime area under Portuguese jurisdiction was also highlighted, with the radar station at Pico do Areeiro playing a "crucial" role in this process, operating 24 hours a day. The commander assured the Air Force's commitment to maintaining proximity with regional institutions and continuing to contribute to the region's security.
