Former Admiral José Carlos Torrado Saldanha Lopes, previous Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy, has passed away, announced the Portuguese Navy in a statement issued Saturday.
“The Portuguese Navy expresses its deepest sorrow for the passing of Admiral José Carlos Torrado Saldanha Lopes, former Chief of the Naval Staff,” the statement read.
The Portuguese Navy highlighted what it described as an “exemplary career in the service of Portugal and the sea,” noting that Admiral Saldanha Lopes “stood out for his leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering dedication to the Navy.”
“To the family, friends, and fellow comrades, we extend our deepest condolences,” the statement added.
Saldanha Lopes, born in Lisbon on August 5, 1949, died on Friday at the age of 76.
He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Navy on November 30, 2010, by then-President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, and led the Navy until November 2013.
José Saldanha Lopes entered the Naval School in 1968, specializing in communications, and later became an instructor in this field.
He was promoted to senior officer in 1985 and served in various capacities, including at the Naval Command, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces in the Azores, the Naval Staff, the Permanent Naval Force of the Atlantic, the Portuguese Military Mission in Brussels, and also as Chief of Staff of the Naval Command.
In 1992, he was promoted to Commander and in 1993 became the first Commander of the Navy’s Helicopter Squadron at the Montijo Air Base.
In 1996, he took command of the frigate Corte Real, participating in the civilian rescue and peace-restoration operation in Guinea-Bissau in 1998 and in Operation ‘Allied Force’ in Kosovo in 1999.
In 2006, he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, and after being promoted to vice-admiral, took on the roles of Naval Commander and Commander of the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR) until his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff in 2010, following his promotion to admiral.
He was honored with, among other distinctions, the rank of Knight of the Military Order of Avis.
[Updated at 14:00]
