[2] Officially formed in March 1986, 601 Squadron's creation originated from the acquisition of six former-Royal Australian Air Force P-3B Orion aircraft by Portugal.

[2][3][4] Portugal had lacked a dedicated aircraft for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare since 1977, when its fleet of Lockheed P-2 Neptune was retired and 61 Squadron was disbanded.

[2][4] The squadron participated in Operation Sharp Guard, which occurred from June 1993 to October 1996, in the blockade of Yugoslavia, having performed 576 missions and a total of 3,712 flight hours.

[2] In August 2010 the first of five P-3C Orion aircraft purchased from the Royal Netherlands Navy, to replace the six P-3P then in service with the PoAF, arrived in Beja.

[3] Since the squadron's activation it has also participated in numerous other national and international exercises, most notably: Ocean Safari, Dogfish, Strong Resolve, Linked Seas, Noble Manta, Sharkhunt, Grampus, and Real Thaw.