Canada, Portugal sign search and rescue cooperation pact for North Atlantic

The agreement formalises an existing operational partnership between the Canadian and Portuguese defence ministries, enhancing coordination, information sharing and the development of common procedures between the two neighbouring search and rescue (SAR) regions in the North Atlantic.

The MOU was signed as the two countries concluded the Advanced Search and Rescue Exercise (ASAREX) 2026, held from July 1 to 12 in Ponta Delgada in Portugal's Azores archipelago.

The annual multinational exercise brought together search and rescue personnel from Canada, Portugal and other North Atlantic partners to conduct training in long-range coordination, maritime distress response and multinational rescue operations.

Canadian Joint Operations Command Commander Lieutenant-General Steve Boivin said the agreement formalises a partnership built over years of operational cooperation and joint exercises, helping ensure faster and more effective responses during emergencies at sea.

Portugal's Air Force Commander Brigadier-General Francisco Dionísio said the agreement would strengthen interoperability and improve coordination between the two countries as they respond to increasingly complex challenges in the North Atlantic.

Canada and Portugal have participated in ASAREX since 2015. Canadian officials said the cooperation has supported several real-world rescue operations, including a multinational medical evacuation in 2024 and the search for an overdue sailing vessel in the North Atlantic later that year.

Canada's Department of National Defence said the agreement reinforces both countries' commitment to improving readiness and strengthening multinational search and rescue efforts across one of the world's busiest and most challenging maritime regions.