ISTAR Battalion (Portugal)

ISTAR Battalion Batalhão ISTAR
Country	Portugal
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:

1. Headquarters and Headquarters Company;
2. C2 Company;
3. Electronic Warfare Company;
4. HUMINT Platoon;
5. Reconnaissance Platoon;
6. Unattended Ground Sensor Section;
7. Low Altitude Medium Endurance UAV Platoon;
8. Weapon Locating Platoon;
9. Weapon Locating Accousting Sensor Platoon;
10. Forward Observers Platoon..^[1]

References

1. Jorge E. A. Nascimento (July 2011). "O Contributo da BAO para o Sistema ISTAR". Academia Militar.