NATO

Colonel (OF-5) Portuguese Army Nuno Ferreira Lopes

Colonel Nuno Ferreira Lopes was born in Lisbon in 1972 and joined the Army Military Academy in 1990, completing the Artillery course in 1995. He was then assigned to the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Centre in Cascais, where he served as a platoon commander and instructor, specializing in anti-aircraft artillery systems, shooting, and physical education, among other areas.

Pursuing his expertise in physical training, he earned a degree in Physical Education from the Faculty of Human Kinetics at the University of Lisbon. This led to his role as a Physical Education Instructor at the Military Academy in Lisbon and the former Military Centre of Physical Education and Sports in Mafra. In 2007, he was deployed as an advisor for Portuguese Military Technical Cooperation at the Marechal Samora Machel Military Academy in Nampula, Mozambique, where he served for 14 months.

As a senior officer, after completing the Portuguese Staff Course, he was assigned to the Land Forces Command’s Planning Department, where he worked directly with Army forces deployed to NATO, UN, and EU missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Lebanon, and other regions. During this period, he was also deployed for 10 months as an Intelligence Officer with the European Union Training Mission Somalia.

In September 2014, he became Head of the Physical Education and Shooting Section of the Army at the former Instruction and Doctrine Command (now the Department of Formation) in Évora. In 2016, after attending the Command and Staff Course in Brazil, he served as Head of the Artillery Department at the School of Arms in Mafra.

From 2017 to 2020, he was assigned to the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) in Oeiras, Portugal, as a Land Logistics Planner. In this role, he participated in several NATO exercises, including Trident Juncture 2018 and Trident Jupiter 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he assumed the role of Deputy Commander of the 5th Artillery Regiment in Vendas Novas, actively contributing to pandemic response efforts. His responsibilities included leading population awareness initiatives, coordinating decontamination operations at public aid facilities, and supporting isolation and recovery centres.

Since 2022, he has been involved in Portuguese Defence Cooperation efforts, initially within the Army Commander's Office and later at the National Defence Policy Directorate. His work focuses on strengthening military institutions in Portuguese-speaking African countries and East Timor by deploying Military Advisory Teams, facilitating military training, and coordinating hospital assistance programs in Portugal.