The army of Portugal buys Glock Coyote Tan G17 pistols.

Portugal's army will replace its ageing Walther P-38 9mm pistols with Glock Coyote Tan G17s, Guns.com reports.

Glock Coyote Tan G17 (Picture source: Glock)

“We are proud to be selected to support the missions of the Portuguese military with the latest generation of Glock pistols,” said Richard Flür, director of international sales at Glock GmbH. “The Portuguese Army is among multiple military and law enforcement entities which Glock strongly supports in the region and we are excited to welcome them to the Glock family.”

According to a press release from Glock, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) launched a tender earlier this year for the Walther replacement. Glock reportedly competed against several manufacturers and was awarded in the tender in late July.

Portugal has a long tradition of fielding European-made 9mm semi-autos, as the Walther P-38s, designated the M1961 in the Portuguese army, replaced DWM P-08 Lüger models which, in some cases, date back to World War I (weapon collectors, get ready!).

The country is amidst a modernization program where it comes to small arms, having only recently approved the purchase of FN-made SCAR rifles to replace 1960s-era HK G3 assault rifles.