Commander Pires Correia takes office as Director of the Centre of Excellence of Nato in Portugal

The captain-of-mar-and-war César Pires Correia took office on 22 April as Director of the "NATO Maritime GEOMETOC Centre of Excellence" (NATO GEOMETOC COE), surrendering in office the captain-of-mar-and-war Fernando Freitas Artiller.

The ceremony held at the Portuguese Navy Hydrographic Institute, where this NATO center is headquartered, was chaired by the Chief of Staff of the Armada, Admiral Henrique Gouveia and Melo, representing the Admiral Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

Accredited by NATO and activated as an International Military Body on August 26, 2021, the MGEOMETOC COE represents a strengthening of Portugal's contribution and reveals the existing capacity of the Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Information domain to support Atlantic Alliance maritime operations.

In addition to its technical-military importance, the MGEOMETOC COE has an added value for Portugal, not only by its allied presence in national territory, but also by its prestige and international recognition, associated with leadership in the maritime GEOMETOC domain.