ISTAR Battalion (Portugal)
Appearance
ISTAR Battalion Batalhão ISTAR | |
---|---|
Country | ![]() |
Branch | Army |
Role | Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance |
Size | Battalion |
Part of | Army General Support Forces |
Garrison | Vendas Novas, Oporto, Lisbon |
Equipment | AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar, RATC-S Mobile target finder radar, MARWIN MW12 weather station |
The ISTAR Battalion (BISTAR, Batalhão ISTAR in Portuguese) is the Portuguese Army unit responsible for centralizing the intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.
The BISTAR started to be raised in 2009, following NATO requisites and the need felt by the Portuguese Army to develop the capability to give ISTAR support to its operational brigades and to its deployed forces in foreign territory.[1]
Organization
The BISTAR is organized as command element and aggregating unit, being made up with the grouping of sub-units specialized in the different ISTAR capabilities, which are raised by several other units. It includes:
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company;
- C2 Company;
- Electronic Warfare Company;
- HUMINT Platoon;
- Reconnaissance Platoon;
- Unattended Ground Sensor Section;
- Low Altitude Medium Endurance UAV Platoon;
- Weapon Locating Platoon;
- Weapon Locating Accousting Sensor Platoon;
- Forward Observers Platoon..[1]