Maritime Authority System

In Portugal, the coast guard role is performed by several government agencies that, together, form the Maritime Authority System (Portuguese: Sistema de Autoridade Marítima, SAM). The SAM includes the Portuguese Navy, the National Republican Guard (GNR), the Portuguese Air Force, the Civil Protection Authority, the National Medical Emergency Institute and the Criminal Investigation Police (PJ).

Maritime Authority System Autoridade Marítima Nacional
Abbreviation	AMN
Agency overview
Formed	2002
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Portugal

The National Maritime Authority (Portuguese: Autoridade Marítima Nacional) or AMN is the service responsible for coast guard duties within Portugal. Until 2014 the AMN had been a directly reporting agency of the Navy until it was separated that year, although the Navy still provides its personnel and vessels. The function of AMN is performed by the Chief of Staff of the Navy himself, supported in this role by the Directorate of the Maritime Authority, which includes the Maritime Police, the Lifeguard Institute, the Lighthouse Department and the several harbourmasters. Besides the specific assets of the Directorate of Maritime Authority entirely dedicated to the coast guard role, the AMN also has at its disposal the other Portuguese Navy's assets that can be used both for military and public service missions.^[1]

The vessels operated within the SAM include the Maritime Police patrol boats, the Lifeguard Institute lifeboats, the harbourmasters’ harbour boats, the GNR Coastal Control Unit's surveillance boats and the Portuguese Navy's naval ships. The aircraft operated within the SAM include fixed-wing aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force and helicopters from the Navy and Air Force.

Vessels

In addition to the vessels in the list below, all the Portuguese Navy ships also belong to the Maritime Authority System.

Class/Name	Origin	Image	Pennant number	Notes
Rescue vessels - Shipwreck Relief Institute
Vigilante class	Portugal		UAM 601	A total of 7 ships planned, with 4 built and 1 under construction in Arsenal do Alfeite.[2][3]
			UAM 602
			UAM 603
			UAM 604
Rainha D. Amélia class	Spain		UAM 689	A total of 8 units received between 1997 and 2000, built by Rodman Polyships.[4]
			UAM 690
			UAM 691
			UAM 692
			UAM 693
			UAM 694
			UAM 695
			UAM 696
Rigid inflatable boats	Portugal		SR"XX"	The Shipwreck Relief Institute of the Portuguese Navy, has 39 rigid inflatable boats:[5] 2 Navalport Yards ribs 1 Searib's 1080 1 XS RIB 5 Valiant 850 9 Searib's 860 7 Atlantic 21 1 Tornado 6 SPES 1 Searib's 780 1 AVON 5 Tsunami-18
Patrol vessels - National Republican Guard
Bojador class	Netherlands		PO1 Bojador	Received in 2021, it is the first National Republican Guard vessel with off-shore surveillance capability. Build by Damen Group.[6]
Ribamar class	Portugal		LVI-11 Ribamar	Class consisting of 12 high-speed boats for interception and coastal surveillance.[7]
			LVI-12 Atalaia
			LVI-13 Consolação
			LVI-14 Azóia
			LVI-21 Burgau
			LVI-22 Salema
			LVI-23 Zavial
			LVI-24 Mindelo
			LVI-40 Apúlia
			LVI-41 Muranzel
			LVI-42 Buarcos
			LVI-43 Cabedelo
SR 1250 Patrol-C	Portugal		P26 Cassiopeia	Four high-speed boats built in Viana do Castelo by Navallethes, for an amount of 3 million euros. Each boat has 3 engines with 300 horsepower each, reaching speeds of close to 90km/h. All boats were received in 2024.[8]
			P27 Aquila
			P28 Draco
			P29 Mar dos Açores
Zodíaco class	Portugal		LFA Zodíaco	Vessels used for river and coastal surveillance, build by Nautiber.[7]
			LFA Aries
			LFA Cancer
			LFA Libra
			LFA Scorpius
			LFA Capricosnus
			LFA Aquarius
Rodman 33	Spain		Mar Creta	Vessels used for river and coastal surveillance.[9][10]
			Mar Jónico
Falcão da Madeira			Falcão da Madeira	Vessel used by the National Republican Guard in the Madeira islands.[11]
Mar Egeu			Mar Egeu	[12]
Embarcação de Alta Velocidade - EAV	Portugal		LX-120-EST	Also known as EAV Abalroada[13]
			LX-119-EST	Also known as EAV Castelejo[14][15]
			LX-118-EST	Also known as EAV Abalroador[16]
			LX-115-EST	Also known as EAV Mareta[17]
			VR-24-EST	Also known as EAV Farol[18]
			VR-28-EST	Also known as EAV Alcoutim[19]
			Name unknown	Seen in use during a Frontex mission[20][21]
			Name unknown	Seen in use during an exercise in Tagus river[22]
			Name unknown	Seen in use during a National Republican Guard video[23]
Patrol Vessels - Maritime Police
Bolina class	Portugal		UAM 650	Built by Arsenal do Alfeite in 2005.[2][24][25]
			UAM 651
Golfinho	Portugal		UAM 610	[26]
Teresa Paula	Portugal		UAM 618	[27]
Santa Maria	Portugal		UAM 626	[28]
Levante	Portugal		UAM 631	Built by Arsenal do Alfeite.[29]
Tufão	Portugal		UAM 639	Built by Arsenal do Alfeite. This class was composed by 3 vessels.[30][31]
Macareu	Spain		UAM 647	Built by Rodman Polyships. This class was composed by 8 vessels.[32][33]
Preia-Mar	Spain		UAM 648
Madeira	Portugal		UAM 697	Vessel seized in 2005 and reverted to the Maritime Police, can be equipped with G3 rifles. Entered active service in 2018.[34]
Molivos			AMN-01-RG	Used has offshore patrol boat[35][36]
High-speed interceptor	Portugal		AMN-"XX"-SG	The Maritime Police has around 20 High-speed interceptor boats[37][38][39][40]
Rigid inflatable boats	Portugal		AMN-"XX"-SM	The Maritime Police, also operates a total of 14 patrol rigid inflatable boats[41][39]
High Speed Boat - Portuguese Navy
Príncipe	Portugal		EAV???	In active duty since 2024[42][43]
Auxiliary vessels- Portuguese Navy
Vale do Zebro	Portugal		UAM 101	Rigid inflatable boat in active duty since 2008, armed with an MG 3 machine gun.[44]
Tróia	Portugal		UAM 102	Rigid inflatable boat in active duty since 2008, armed with an MG 3 machine gun.[45]
Destemor	Portugal		UAM 103	Rigid inflatable boat in active duty since 2015, armed with an MG 3 machine gun.[44]
UAM Creoula	Portugal		UAM 201	In active duty since 1987
Dom Fernando II e Glória	Portugal		UAM 203	It served the Portuguese Navy between 1845 and 1878. Since 1998 it belongs to the Navy Museum.
Guia	Portugal		UAM 676	No ativo desde 1983[46]
Vazante	Portugal		UAM 687	Both active since 1994 and used to combat marine pollution.[47][48]
Enchente	Portugal		UAM 688
Atlanta	Portugal		UAM 802	In active duty since 1984[49][50]
Fisália	Portugal		UAM 805	In active duty since 1985[51][52]
Mindelo	Portugal		UAM 810	In active duty since 1996[53]
Niassa	Portugal		UAM 811	In active duty since 1996
Cacheu	Portugal		UAM 812	In active duty since 1996[53]
Canopus	Portugal		UAM 814	In active duty since 2006[54]
Sável	Portugal		UAM 830	In active duty since 1991[55]
Albacora II	Portugal		UAM 852	In active duty since 1980 [56]
Alva	Portugal		UAM 901	In active duty since 1985 [57]
Zêzere	Portugal		UAM 913	In active duty since 1983[58]
Sorraia			UAM 919	In active duty since 2009 [59]