This year's edition of the prestigious international NATO Tiger Meet exercise, which runs from Beja Air Base No. 11 until October 3, stands out for its innovative integration of images obtained by very high-resolution satellites, which will support operations by providing information collected in near real time and processed by the Air Force Space Operations Center, a body created a year ago. 

With the support of partner entities—CTI Aeroespacial, ICEYE, and Geosat—and in a true multi-domain scenario, a space Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Cell was installed in the exercise, responsible for transforming collected data into knowledge, offering more current, accurate, and relevant information.

This capability provides an almost immediate perception of the situation on the ground, enabling more informed and proactive decisions that increase the effectiveness of operations and reduce uncertainty in complex and dynamic scenarios.

By making this knowledge directly available to forces on the ground, the IVR Cell accelerates coordination between different levels of command and enhances interoperability, which is the true center of gravity of the exercise.

The integration of the space component into an exercise of the magnitude of NATO Tiger Meet demonstrates that the use of satellite data in an operational environment is already a reality in the Air Force. This result stems from a consistent effort to project the Air Force into Space, assumed as the 5th Operational Domain. This concept puts us at the forefront of military operations and decisively reinforces our supremacy in knowledge. The intense involvement of companies such as ICEYE and GEOSAT, leaders in their fields, is clear proof of the recognition that the Portuguese Air Force has achieved in the space industry, making this partnership a milestone on the journey towards space.

NATO Tiger Meet 2025 (NTM25) is a multinational exercise that brings together military personnel from various partner countries for tactical operations in different domains, with the aim of strengthening interoperability between allied forces.

Endorsed by NATO and organized by the Portuguese Air Force, it is one of the most important air exercises in the world, with the aim of training and validating the participating forces' ability to operate in a coordinated manner in international theaters of operation.

The exercise, which began on September 21, involves around 1,700 military personnel directly engaged in the exercise, 1,400 participants from 12 different nations, who will carry out training focused on realistic scenarios of integrated air defense, offensive air combat, attack, and support for land and sea components, essential to respond to the current challenges of military defense.