WHO ARE WE
COLONEL José Baltazar
MANAGING PARTNER
Colonel José Baltazar is a senior Army officer with a distinguished career in operations, intelligence, and security, bringing extensive experience in both national and international assignments, including deployments in conflict zones and participation in international missions.
In the fields of Intelligence and Operations, he has served in key leadership roles, particularly within NATO’s permanent structure, where he was Team Leader for Planning at the Future Operations Division in the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), United Kingdom. His experience spans intelligence analysis, operational planning, and force deployment, working closely with national forces and multinational headquarters in complex environments. He has also been actively involved in international missions in conflict areas, contributing to operational security and intelligence efforts in challenging theatres.
In the security domain, he has held senior positions overseeing Intelligence, Operations, and Security across various Army units and higher command structures. He was also responsible for Security and Force Protection at Joint Force Command Lisbon, ensuring the safeguarding of personnel and infrastructure in a multinational operational setting. He is a Certified Security Director, accredited by the Ministry of Internal Administration and the Public Security Police (PSP), and is also a National Defence Auditor, certified by the National Defence Institute. Additionally, he has been granted EU and NATO security clearances by the National Security Office.
Beyond his operational career, Colonel Baltazar has been a university professor and Head of the Scientific Department at the Portuguese Military Academy. Additionally, he played a critical role as Director of the Military Support Center for COVID-19, where he was responsible for coordinating a national-level military hospital during the pandemic, ensuring effective resource allocation, crisis management, and operational response.
His academic and professional qualifications include a Specialization Course in Intelligence and Security at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP) and a Specialization Course in Security Management. He has also completed multiple advanced courses at NATO School, including the NATO Security Course, NATO Force Protection Officer Course, NATO European Security Cooperation Course, and NATO Military Police Officer Course.
With a career spanning multiple command and operational roles, Colonel Baltazar has cultivated an extensive professional network in intelligence, operations, and security, both at the national and international levels.
Married with a son and a daughter, he enjoys spending his free time with his family, reading, taking care of his pets, and riding motorcycles.
António brás monteiro
EU & NATO affairs partner
António Brás Monteiro is EU and NATO Affairs Partner at Iberian Falcata, working at the intersection of defence innovation, capability development, and European and transatlantic security frameworks.
He has extensive experience across the European defence ecosystem, contributing to initiatives related to innovation, industrial cooperation, and capability development. He serves as a Defence Expert under the European Union Defence Innovation Scheme and as an Independent Expert Evaluator for the European Defence Fund within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space. He is also a member of the European Defence Standards Reference System (EDSTAR) Expert Groups at the European Defence Agency for Air and Maritime Autonomous Systems.
Within NATO, he has been actively involved in the NATO Industrial Advisory Group, participating in several studies and most recently serving as Rapporteur of NIAG Study Group 313 on bringing launched effects to bear through standards.
Earlier in his career, he gained experience in intelligence at SolvX and worked as a Project Manager at Tekever on unmanned aerial systems programmes, contributing to European Commission security and defence research projects and NATO-related activities.
He holds a degree from the Catholic University of Portugal and has completed advanced training at the European Security and Defence College, National Defence Institute, Military Academy, Military University Institute, NOVA University and Delft University of Technology. He holds EU and NATO SECRET security clearance and is a National Defence Auditor certified by the National Defence Institute.
In parallel, he contributes to the defence and security debate as Special Correspondent for European Security & Defence and Editorial Board Member of Segurança & Defesa. He is also Vice-President of the Portuguese Defence and Security Institute, Advisory Board Member of AED Cluster Portugal and IntellCorp, and a board member of EuroDefense-Portugal and the National Defence Course Auditors Association.
He is the author of articles on defence and security published in international and national outlets, including European Security & Defence, Forbes, EURACTIV, EUobserver and Diário de Notícias.