Primary mission: Secondary missions: Formed on September 23, 1977, with the initial designation of Transport and Maritime Patrol Squadron (Portuguese: Esquadra de Transporte e Patrulhamento Marítimo), its origins date back to 1952, when upon the merger of the Army's Aviation and the Naval Aviation these services' transport aircraft — Junkers Ju 52, C-54 Skymaster and C-47 Dakota — were transferred to the Portuguese Air Force (PoAF).

With the start of the Ultramar War there was the necessity for a medium-range aircraft capable of performing transportation in the theater of operations.

Numerous problems with the maintenance of the DC-6 fleet appeared along the years, mainly due to lack of planning and the age of the airplanes.

The DC-6s continued flying between the continent and the Azores and Guinea Bissau and the C-54s were finally retired from service.

With the end of the war the Portuguese government then decided to transfer the 707 aircraft to TAP Portugal and to create a new medium- and long-range transport squadron, which was to be equipped with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules to replace the Noratlas, DC-6 and the transferred 707s.