Portuguese Army brings out armour for Baja Portalegre 500 viewing

Since grandstands are usually not a thing at off-road races, spectators typically stand along the course or bring their own seating if they need to sit down. The Portuguese Army brought out some seats during last weekend’s Baja Portalegre 500, though they are a bit different from chairs and bleachers: a Leopard 2A6 tank, an M109 howitzer, and an M113 armoured personnel carrier.

The second Selective Section, the first of two timed legs on Saturday, passed by Campo Militar de Santa Margarida with a righthand turn. Although it did not go through the camp itself, the Army set up an exhibition of armoured fighting vehicles from the Brigada Mecanizada (Mechanised Brigade) directly next to the course. Fans and military personnel were present, the latter sitting atop the vehicles to record video or take photos of the race when not presenting them to attendees.

“While waiting for the Baja vehicles to pass by, the public will have the chance to observe different types of military vehicles up close,” reads a statement from the Brigada Mecanizada. “It will be an excellent opportunity for car lovers and curious fans in general to learn more about the Portuguese Army’s fleet.

“The event organisers invite everyone to visit the site to enjoy both the showcase of speed and the military exhibition, making this viewing point one of the must-see attractions of this Baja edition.”

Credit: Brigada Mecanizada

Campo Militar de Santa Margarida is one of the largest military bases and training areas used by the Portuguese Army. It was built in 1952 for conventional and nuclear warfare training before switching to counter-insurgency during the Portuguese Colonial War, after which the main unit stationed there was reorganised into the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade. The brigade became fully mechanised in 1993 before being formally renamed to the current Brigada Mecanizada in 2006.

Today, the camp has the largest Portuguese military garrison and is the second biggest in terms of area behind the Field Firing Range of Alcochete. The Leopard 2, along with the M109 and M113 were respectively developed and provided to the brigade by NATO allies in Germany and the United States, and Portugal likewise has sent some Leopards and M113s to Ukraine.

While the race was technically not on the camp’s premises, it is not uncommon for cross-country rallies to be held on military installations due to their wide open forests. The Baja Poland, also on the FIA World Baja Cup like Portalegre, takes place on the largest army training facility in Europe at Colonel Franciszek Sadowski Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko; the training area also hosts the Rallye Breslau and Baja Drawsko. The FIA European Baja Cup’s Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura and Hungarian Baja are respectively at the Base General Menacho de Bótoa in Spain and the Hungarian Defence Forces Bakony Combat Training Centre.

The Baja Portalegre 500 was the fifth round of the FIA World Baja Cup.