The CTOE - Centro de Tropas de Operações Especiais (Special Operations Troops Centre), based in Lamego, is a unit of the Portuguese Army with the mission of instructing troops in unconventional warfare and counter-terrorism.

The CTOE contains an operational unit called FOE - Força de Operações Especiais (Special Operations Force), popularly known as Rangers, tasked with performing Tier 1 missions like their counterparts such as US Army's Delta Force or British Special Air Service.

Early in the fighting, the Caçadores Especiais received updated 7,62 mm NATO small arms such as the Espingarda m/961 (Heckler & Koch G3) and the FN/German G1 FAL rifle (known as the m/962); the FAL was a favored weapon of the Caçadores Especiais due to its lighter weight and better practical accuracy compared to the m/961 G3.

The CTOE remained, now tasked with giving their courses to officers and NCOs, and to form commando troops.

The FOE is commanded by a lieutenant-colonel and includes six special operations task units (SOTU).