The Portuguese Colonial War (), also referred to as the Portuguese Overseas War or Overseas War () for short, was a military conflict staged during the Decolonisation of Africa that pitted the guerrilla forces of the African nationalist Liberation movements of the Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique overseas provinces, which were part of the Portuguese Empire, against the colonial armed and security forces loyal to the authoritarian Estado Novo regime of Portugal, between 1961 and 1975. Main combatants comprised:

The Portuguese Armed Forces (), which were backed by the United States, United Kingdom, West Germany, France, Francoist Spain, Belgium, Rhodesia and South Africa, were the official military of Portugal. Subordinated to the Ministry of National Defence and placed under the command of the Secretariat-General of National Defence ( – SGDN), of the Portuguese government at the capital Lisbon, the branches were organized as follows: The Portuguese Army () The Portuguese Air Force (), or FAP in the Portuguese acronym but internationally is often referred to by the acronym PRTAF. The Portuguese Navy (), also known as Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa or as Armada Portuguesa. The Portuguese Security Forces, subordinated to the Overseas Ministry () in Lisbon: The Public Security Police ( – PSP), the uniformed Preventive police (actually, a Colonial police force) of the Portuguese overseas territories, which was modelled after the European Portuguese PSP, the national civil police force of Portugal.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 33. The irregular Auxiliary Forces (). The African nationalist Liberation movements: The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde ( – PAIGC) party (1956–present), and its military wing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People ( – FARP), which received support from the Soviet Union, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Socialist Republic of Romania, SFR Yugoslavia, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, Sweden, North Korea, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Libya, Ghana, Senegal, and Guinea-Conacry.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 8; 12.Silva Machado and Sucena do Carmo, Tropas Pára-quedistas Portuguesas 1956–1993 (1992), pp. 57–58. The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( – MPLA) party (1956–present), and its military wing the People's Army for the Liberation of Angola ( – EPLA), which received support from the Soviet Union, East Germany, Cuba, Morocco, Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea-Conacry, Tanzania, and Zambia.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 8–9.Silva Machado and Sucena do Carmo, Tropas Pára-quedistas Portuguesas 1956–1993 (1992), p. 51. The National Front for the Liberation of Angola ( – FNLA) party (1961–present), and its military wing the National Army for the Liberation of Angola ( – ELNA), which received support from the United States, the People's Republic of China, West Germany, Israel, France, the Socialist Republic of Romania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Zaire, and Liberia.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 8–10. The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( – UNITA) party (1966–present), and its military wing the Armed Forces of the Liberation of Angola ( – FALA), which received support from the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the People's Republic of China, Egypt, and Zambia.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 10. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda ( – FLEC) party (1963–present), which received support from the United States, France, Zaire, and South Africa. The Liberation Front of Mozambique ( – FRELIMO) party (1962–present), and its military wing the Popular Forces for the Liberation of Mozambique ( – FPLM), which received support from the Soviet Union, East Germany, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, SFR Yugoslavia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Cuba, the People's Republic of China, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 13–15.Silva Machado and Sucena do Carmo, Tropas Pára-quedistas Portuguesas 1956–1993 (1992), p. 66.

An eclectic variety of weapons was used by all sides in the Portuguese Colonial War. The Portuguese Military and Security Forces serving in the African territories were equipped with Western-made weapon systems from both World War I and World War II, mainly Portuguese, Austro-Hungarian, Danish, German, Italian, French, Canadian and British in origin, but also included more modern Portuguese, Spanish, French, British, Belgian, Dutch, West German, American and South African military hardware. During the early phase of the war, the African Liberation Movements likewise were largely equipped with WWII-vintage Western arms and munitions, though as the war went on, Soviet, Eastern Bloc and Chinese weaponry began to play a major role, particularly after 1970.

Portuguese Military and Security Forces equipment Revolvers

Received from the Portuguese Army or privately purchased, used by colonial public servants and officials as personal side-arms for self-defence.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), p. 63. Revólver m/878 and m/886 AbadieTelo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 61–63. Smith & Wesson Model 10Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 80–82. Smith & Wesson BodyguardTelo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), p. 82.

Pistols Pistola 9 mm m/943 Luger: used early in the War in Angola.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 100–103.Grant, The Luger (2018), p. 28. Pistola 9 mm m/961 Walther: standard service pistol of the Portuguese Army.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 176–178.Walter, Walther Pistols – PP, PPK and P 38 (2022), p. 71.

Submachine guns

Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/942 Steyer: limited use early in the War.Abbott, Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 6; 17.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 134–137. Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/943 Sten: limited use early in the War.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 160–162. Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/948 FBP: used early in the War.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 17; 37.Carvalho, Testemunhos de Guerra: Angola, Guiné e Moçambique 1961–1974 (2000), p. 213.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 166–168.Quesada, MP 38 and MP 40 Submachine Guns (2014), p. 62. Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/961 VigneronAbbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), pp. 17–18.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 179–181. Franchi LF-57: used mainly in Angola and Mozambique. Star Model Z-45: limited use in the War in Angola. Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/961 Sterling: used by settler militias early in the War in Angola.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 182–184.Thompson, The Sten Gun (2012), p. 74.Moss, The Sterling Submachine Gun (2018), p. 64. Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/961 UZI: used by the PSP and militia personnel.Carvalho, Testemunhos de Guerra: Angola, Guiné e Moçambique 1961–1974 (2000), p. 214.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 185–187. Walther MPK: used by the Portuguese Navy and the Portuguese Marine Corps.

Bolt-action rifles Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886/89 Kropatschek Colonial Infantry Rifle: limited use early in the War by militia personnel. Mauser–Vergueiro: limited use early in the War by militia personnel.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 88–93. Espingarda 7,92 mm m/937 Mauser infantry rifle: standard-issue rifle before the full introduction of the FN FAL and G3 assault rifles; also used by the PSP and militia personnel.Abbott, Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 17.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 138–143.Reynolds, Dan, The Rifles of Portugal 1880–1980, Espingarda 7,7 mm m/1917, m/1917-A, m/931, m/942, and m/946 Lee–Enfield (SMLE Mk III): used by settler militias early in the War in Angola.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 107–111. Pattern 1914 Enfield: used by settler militias early in the War in Angola. M1917 Enfield (US modified and produced variant of the Pattern 1914 Enfield rifle): limited use early in the War.

Semi-automatic rifles SKS: Captured from PAIGC guerrillas and re-issued to colonial troops in Guinea-Bissau.Venter, Portugal's Guerrilla War: The Campaign for Africa (1973), p. 71.

Assault rifles AK-47 and AKS: Captured.Afonso and Gomes, Guerra Colonial: Angola – Guiné – Moçambique (2000), p. 196. AKM and AKMS: Captured.

Battle rifles

Espingarda de assalto 7,62 mm m/961 AR-10Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 38.Silva Machado and Sucena do Carmo, Tropas Pára-quedistas Portuguesas 1956–1993 (1992), p. 34.Pikula, The ArmaLite AR-10 Rifle: The Saga of the First Modern Combat Rifle (1998), pp. 75; 79–80.Afonso and Gomes, Guerra Colonial: Angola – Guiné – Moçambique (2000), pp. 108; 177; 183–184.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 198–200. Espingarda de assalto 7,62 mm m/962 FN FAL: variants employed comprised the Belgium-built standard FAL (50.00 model), the West German G1 and the South African Vektor R1, all used mainly in Guinea-Bissau and Angola.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 17.Afonso and Gomes, Guerra Colonial: Angola – Guiné – Moçambique (2000), pp. 358–359.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 188–191.Cashner, The FN FAL Battle Rifle (2013), pp. 46–47. Espingarda de assalto 7,62 mm m/961 and m/963 G3: Heckler & Koch G3A3 and G3A4 variants.Pikula, The ArmaLite AR-10 Rifle: The Saga of the First Modern Combat Rifle (1998), p. 79.Afonso and Gomes, Guerra Colonial: Angola – Guiné – Moçambique (2000), pp. 108; 183–184; 358–359.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 192–197.Thompson, The G3 Battle Rifle (2019), pp. 29–31.

Sniper rifles Espingarda de assalto 7,62 mm m/961 AR-10: fitted with A.I.-modified upper receivers to mount 3× or 3.6× telescopic sights, employed as a designated marksman rifle.

Light machine guns

Metralhadora ligeira 7,7 mm m/930, 7,9 mm m/940, and 7,9 mm m/930-41 Madsen: used early in the War by armoured cavalry units.Smith, Small Arms of the World (1969), p. 342.Abbott, Ribeiro Rodrigues and Volstad, Modern African Wars (2): Angola and Mozambique 1961–74 (1988), p. 7.Telo and Álvares, Armamento do Exército Português Vol. I – Armamento ligeiro (2004), pp. 127–130.