Lisbon Naval Base
Encyclopedia
The Lisbon Naval Base at the Alfeite, is the main installation and operational base
of the Portuguese Navy
. Being located at the former Royal Estate of Alfeite in the south bank of the Tagus river huge estuary
, near the city of Almada
, the installation is commonly referred as the Alfeite Naval Base.
Most of the Portuguese Navy Fleet
ships
are based at the Alfeite, as well as many of its administrative, training and support services. In the Alfeite perimeter are also located the Naval School
, the Naval Technologies School, the Alfeite Arsenal, the Marine corps Base
and other Portuguese Navy units.
The Lisbon Naval Base is an administrative entity that - besides the main base at the Alfeite - manages several other smaller naval facilities in the region.
and the neighbor Tagus estuary has always been the largest and most important naval base
of Portugal
, since the 12th century. During the Age of Discovery
, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon and the Tagus became the major naval base in the World. It was from this base, that Vasco da Gama
set out to discover the sea route to India
.
Until after World War I
, in reality there was not a single naval base, but a series of smaller bases located at various points of both banks of the Tagus. Among others, in the early 20th century, there was the Lisbon Navy Arsenal, the Doca de Belém
submarine
base, the Bom Sucesso
seaplane
base, the Vila Franca de Xira
destroyer
base, the Vale do Zebro torpedo boat
base, the Alcântara
Navy Barracks and the Doca da Marinha quay.
In the late 19th century, the idea of building a new naval arsenal
at the site of the Royal Estate of Alfeite arose. Several senior naval officers also began to advocate the idea of concentrating the several Navy facilities in Lisbon and the Tagus, at a single location near the future new arsenal.
The new naval arsenal started to be built in 1928 and was completed in 1937. Being considered one of the largest and best equipped installations of its kind, the Alfeite Arsenal started full operation in 1938. At the same time, along with the new arsenal, a large naval complex - known as "the city of the Navy" - started to be built, to install most of the ships, personnel and services of the Portuguese Navy. These were successively transferred to the Alfeite until the 1950's.
On the December 3, 1958, the Alfeite Navy Superintendence was transformed in the Lisbon Naval Base.
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
of the Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
. Being located at the former Royal Estate of Alfeite in the south bank of the Tagus river huge estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, near the city of Almada
Almada
Almada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of Almada....
, the installation is commonly referred as the Alfeite Naval Base.
Most of the Portuguese Navy Fleet
Fleet
-Vehicles:A fleet is a collection of ships or vehicles, with many specific connotations:*Fleet vehicles, two or more vehicles*Fishing fleet*Naval fleet, substantial group of warships*A group of small ships or flotilla...
ships
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
are based at the Alfeite, as well as many of its administrative, training and support services. In the Alfeite perimeter are also located the Naval School
Portuguese Naval School
The Portuguese Naval School is a university-level naval academy in Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 1845, the school is located at the Lisbon Naval Base, on the south bank of the Tagus river.-Academics:...
, the Naval Technologies School, the Alfeite Arsenal, the Marine corps Base
Portuguese Marine Corps
The Portuguese Marine Corps are a special operations force unit in the Portuguese Navy. The corps is specialised in amphibious warfare, coastal reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and boarding operations...
and other Portuguese Navy units.
The Lisbon Naval Base is an administrative entity that - besides the main base at the Alfeite - manages several other smaller naval facilities in the region.
History
LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and the neighbor Tagus estuary has always been the largest and most important naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, since the 12th century. During the Age of Discovery
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon and the Tagus became the major naval base in the World. It was from this base, that Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
set out to discover the sea route to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Until after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, in reality there was not a single naval base, but a series of smaller bases located at various points of both banks of the Tagus. Among others, in the early 20th century, there was the Lisbon Navy Arsenal, the Doca de Belém
Santa Maria de Belém
Santa Maria de Belém, or just Belém , whose name is derived from the Portuguese word for Bethlehem, is a civil parish of the municipality of Lisbon, in central Portugal...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
base, the Bom Sucesso
Portuguese Naval Aviation
The Portuguese Naval Aviation , was the air branch of the Portuguese Navy until 1952, and is today the command of the Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships...
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
base, the Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 317.7 km² and a total population of 133,224 inhabitants. Situated on the west bank of the Tagus River, just 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, Vila Franca de Xira is said to have been founded by French...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
base, the Vale do Zebro torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
base, the Alcântara
Alcântara (Lisbon)
Alcântara is a civil parish of the city and municipality of Lisbon. Its name is derived from the Arabic , meaning the bridge, and refers to an ancient Roman bridge that once existed there, until the reign of John V...
Navy Barracks and the Doca da Marinha quay.
In the late 19th century, the idea of building a new naval arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
at the site of the Royal Estate of Alfeite arose. Several senior naval officers also began to advocate the idea of concentrating the several Navy facilities in Lisbon and the Tagus, at a single location near the future new arsenal.
The new naval arsenal started to be built in 1928 and was completed in 1937. Being considered one of the largest and best equipped installations of its kind, the Alfeite Arsenal started full operation in 1938. At the same time, along with the new arsenal, a large naval complex - known as "the city of the Navy" - started to be built, to install most of the ships, personnel and services of the Portuguese Navy. These were successively transferred to the Alfeite until the 1950's.
On the December 3, 1958, the Alfeite Navy Superintendence was transformed in the Lisbon Naval Base.