Vice-Admiral Mota e Silva was born in Lisbon in 1942 and graduated from the Escola Naval in 1964.

As a junior officer, he performed functions in various naval units, on the mainland and overseas, namely as a garrison officer on a destroyer in Cape Verde and commander of a patrol ship in Guinea. After being promoted to a more senior position, in 1974, he served as operations officer in the General Staff of STANAVFORLANT, having served in the Naval Command and in the General Staff of the Navy, always in the field of naval operations. From 1982 to 1985, he served as a field assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Navy. He also served in the Planning Division of SACLANT, between 1985 and 1988. He commanded the frigate Comandante Hermenegildo Capelo for 26 months. As a Navy Captain, he served at CINCIBERLANT for three years as Deputy Chief of Staff. After having attended the Naval War College (1993-1994), he held the position of Chief of Staff of the Naval Command. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1995, he became Director of the Training Service. In 1997, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral, taking up the position of Superintendent of Material Services. In 1999 he assumed the NATO function of Commander-in-Chief of the South Atlantic Area, in addition to his national function as naval commander. In November 2000 he assumed the post of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, which he held until July 2002.

Vice Admiral Mota e Silva has received the following awards: Avis Military Order Officer Medal, four Distinguished Service Medals (silver), Exemplary Behaviour Medal (gold), Military Merit Medal (1st Class), Commemorative Medal of the Armed Forces Campaigns (Guinea), Special Services Commission Commemorative Medal (Cape Verde), Naval Cross Medal (2nd class), and the Great Naval Merit Cross of Spain, with white badge. He is a graduate of the NATO Defence College.