The Portuguese Army’s bold video that openly recalls its historical origins

Portugal is a country with a very long history, and its armed forces are among the oldest in the world.

“We are Soldiers of Portugal”, a video showing the materials of the Portuguese Army
Aníbal Milhais: the great feat of a Portuguese soldier during the World War I

Portuguese Army Day is celebrated annually on October 24th, commemorating the Portuguese victory at the Siege of Lisbon in 1147. During this event, the army of King Afonso I of Portugal captured what is now the capital of this Iberian nation, defeating the Muslim army of the Taifa of Badajoz. This afternoon, the Portuguese Army released a video titled "Nascemos com Portugal" ("We Were Born with Portugal"), which looks back at its 879-year history and the wars it has faced throughout that time (the video is in Portuguese; you can enable automatic English subtitles in the video player):

The video is largely created using artificial intelligence—employed for many of the historical scenes (which are very well executed, by the way) as well as for its visions of the future. It is a bold video. I shudder to think of the political uproar such a video would spark in Spain—especially regarding the scenes of the Siege of Lisbon, in which Portuguese soldiers are shown carrying kite-shaped shields (typical of the 12th century) emblazoned with a cross, while treating the Muslim warriors in a manner that is anything but multicultural.

Naturally, we also see scenes of the conflicts between Portugal and Castile —specifically the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385— as well as Portugal’s war of independence against the Hispanic Monarchy, known as the Restoration War (1640–1668), which led to the separation of Spain and Portugal following a union established in 1580 during the reign of Philip II of Spain.

There is also a significant chapter dedicated to the Napoleonic invasions, which began in Portugal in 1807 when Napoleon Bonaparte’s armies succeeded in conquering Lisbon, forcing the Portuguese royal family to flee to Brazil and establish their court in Rio de Janeiro—which served as the capital of Portugal from 1808 until 1821, when King John VI finally returned to Lisbon.

In the video, we also see some of the Portuguese Army’s current assets, such as its Leopard 2A6 tanks (it currently has 34).

We can also see their future plans, which include Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as new tactical transport aircraft. Last summer, a contract was signed for the acquisition of three UH-60L helicopters, with an option for one more. Furthermore, the Portuguese Air Force has acquired a total of 13 UH-60s (6 UH-60As purchased in 2022, 3 UH-60Ls acquired in 2024, and another 4 UH-60Ls, the purchase of which was signed this year).

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Images: Exército Português.