Defence Minister Paulo Portas (left) has revealed that he is set to save 18 million euros on the installation of a radar system in Madeira. The money saved will be used to install another radar system in the Azores in two years time.
Portas and his colleague, Amilcar Theias, have signed a joint dispatch guaranteeing that the Madeira radar installations, at Pico do Areeiro, will have a minimal environmental impact. The implementation of the radar systems in Madeira and the Azores will permit greater vigilance and control over national air space, an area that is currently a concern for National Defence.
The Madeira project, now thought to cost 16.9 million euros, was awarded to the European firm, Indra Systems, after it said it could fulfil the contract at a lower price. This means that the project, which was initially budgeted at 35 million euros, will be 18 million euros cheaper than anticipated, covering the cost of the Azores project.
