| Unit Name: | ISTAR Battalion Batalhão ISTAR |
| Dates: | 2009 |
| Country: |  Portugal |
| Branch: | Army |
| Role: | Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance |
| Size: | Battalion |
| Command Structure: | Army General Support Forces |
| Garrison: | Vendas Novas, Oporto, Lisbon |
| Garrison Label: | Garrison |
| Equipment: | AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven, AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar, RATC-S Mobile target finder radar, MARWIN MW12 weather station |
| Equipment Label: | Equipment |
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 ISTAR 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] [2]
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:[3]
| Name | Origin | Type | Number | Image | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panhard M11 | Scout car | 38 | The Portuguese Army currently fields 38 Arquus Ultrav M11D/VBL 4x4 protected scout vehicles.[4] The type which is locally known as the Ultrav M11D, is essentially fielded by the Rapid Reaction Brigade. The fleet includes MILAN F2, PL127/40, AN/PPS-5B and M1919A4 configurations.[5] [6] | |||
| Pandur II | Radio access point station vehicle | 6 | Made under license in Portugal by Fabrequipa and operated by the Transmission Regiment.[7] [8] | |||
| MAN TG | Armored Communications Vehicle | 15 | 15 Armored MAN Trucks equipped with military communications shelter. These vehicles were acquired in 2023 and belong to a batch of 47 4x4 tatical trucks, of which 15 are armored.[9] | |||
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | ||||||
| AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven | Unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle | 36 | 36 aircraft or twelve systems (together with associated services and equipment) were purchased through the NSPA on 20 August 2018.[10] | |||
| Field artillery | ||||||
| M114A1 | Towed artillery | 24 | 40 units received in 1983. 24 operated by Intervention Brigade Field Artillery Battalion.[11] | |||
| Field artillery | ||||||
| AN/TPQ-36 | Counter-battery radar | 2 | Acquired in 2003 together with HMMWV M1097A2 vehicles for towing.[12] | |||