TheArmed Forces ofUruguay(Spanish:Fuerzas Armadas del UruguayorFF.AA. del Uruguay) consist of theNational Army of Uruguay,theNational Navy of Uruguay,and theUruguayan Air Force.These three independent branches areconstitutionallysubordinate to thePresident of the Republicthrough theMinister of Defense.The government has trimmed the armed forces to about 16,800 for the Army; 6,000 for the Navy; and 3,000 for the Air Force. As of February 2003, Uruguay has more than 2,500 soldiers deployed on 12UN Peacekeepingmissions. The largest groups are in theDemocratic Republic of the CongoandHaiti.There is also a 58-man contingent in theMFOin theSinai.[3]
| Armed Forces of Uruguay | |
|---|---|
| Fuerzas armadas del Uruguay(Spanish) | |
 Coat of Arms of Uruguay | |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Service branches |  National Army of Uruguay National Navy of Uruguay Uruguayan Air Force |
| Headquarters | Montevideo,Uruguay |
| Leadership | |
| President of the Republic | Luis Lacalle Pou |
| Ministry of National Defense | Armando Castaingdebat |
| Chief of the Defence Staff | Rodolfo Pereyra Martínez |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18-49 |
| Available for military service | 831,297, age 15–49 (2003 est.) |
| Fit for military service | 672,030, age 15–49 (2003 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | (2003 est.) |
| Active personnel | 24,000 (2001[1]) |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $492 million (2008) |
| Percent of GDP | 2.3% (2020)[2] |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  Argentina Brazil Canada Israel Russia United States |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Ranks of the Armed Forces of Uruguay |
Army (Ejército Nacional)
editThe Army consists of some 15,000 personnel organized into fourdivisions.
It is equipped with 15 IsraeliTi-67(T-55) Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), 17 AmericanM24 Chaffeelight tanks, 46M41A1 Walker Bulldoglight tanks, 24 AmericanM113A1Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), 15 CzechBMP-1Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), 130OT-64 SKOTAPCs, 64 GermanCondor APCs,15 BrazilianEE-9 Cascavel,18EE-3 Jararacaarmored cars,and 48 Russian lightly armoredGAZ-3937amphibious vehicles.[citation needed]In 2008, Uruguay also purchased 44 6x6 Canadian-madeAVGPAPCs rehabilitated byFAMAEin Chile after retirement from theCanadian Army,receiving a second batch of 100 of Grizzlys and 5 Huskys, the recovery version. It has 4 sets ofRM-70multiple rocket launchers. The army operates 40Land Rover Defender 110SWvehicles, and is looking to buy between 30 and 40 more.[4]
The currentassault rifleused by the Army is the Argentinian-built version of the BelgianFN FAL;it is being replaced by the AustrianSteyr AUGfollowing a bidding contest in 2007 and 2008. In addition, about 300 RussianAK-101sare already used, and the elite airborne, commando, and antiterrorist Battalion 14 (Batallón de Infantería Paracaidista N.º 14) exclusively employ GermanHeckler & Koch G36s.
The Army will receive locally producedGlock 17pistols as replacements for its legacyBrowning Hi-PowerandM1911pistols.[5]
Uruguay Special Forces are now fielding an indigenous.50 BMGsniper rifle called theFS50 Peregrino.It is a single-shot bolt-action rifle that was developed in Uruguay for about two years.[6]
The Uruguayan Army was considering buying either thePanzerfaust 3orRPG-7as short-range anti-tank weapons.[7]Acquisition of the rockets was cancelled due to lack of funds.[8]
Navy (Armada Nacional)
editThe Navy consists of about 5,700 personnel under command of Admiral Jorge Wilson[9]and is organized into four commands: the Fleet Command (Comando de la FlotaorCOMFLO), the Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional NavalorPRENA), the Chief Directorate of Naval Materiel (Dirección General de Material NavalorDIMAT), and the Chief Directorate of Naval Personnel (Dirección General de Personal NavalorDIPER). The Navy General Staff (Estado Mayor General de la ArmadaorESMAY) acts as an advisory body to the admiral.
The current fleet consists of one ex-GermanLüneburg-class replenishment ship,refitted with helipad and used for helicopter patrol and transport and named ROU 04General Artigas,one formerUnited States Coast Guard(USCG) Cape-class cutter, named ROU 11Río Negro,three former USCG Marine Protector-class patrol boat, named as ROU 14Río Arapey,ROU 15Río de la Plataand ROU 16Río Yaguaron,three ex-East GermanKondor IIclassminesweepers, a three-mastedstaysailschoonernamedCapitán Miranda(ROU 20) and other smaller craft.
The Navy also includes Marine Corps and a small Naval Air Station atLaguna del Sauce,equipped with twoBeechcraft T-34C-1 Turbo Mentors,twoBeechcraft Super King Airand threeCessna O-2A Skymastersfixed-wing aircraft, and twoBell 412and oneBell OH-58A Kiowahelicopters.
The Uruguayan Naval Academy (Escuela NavalorESNAL) is located inCarrasco,a suburb ofMontevideo.Instruction consists of a 4-year course of study culminating in a cruise on the instructionaltall shipCapitán Miranda,which lasts several weeks and takes graduates to various ports around the world.
Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya)
editThe Air Force consists of about 3,000 personnel and organized into three Air Brigades (I, II, & III) and several Squadrons.
Combat aircraft consist of a few CessnaA-37B Dragonfliesand transport aircraft of twoLockheed C-130s,twoEmbraer C-95 Bandeirantes,oneEmbraer C-120ER Brasilia,five SpanishCASA C-212-200/300 Aviocarsand ten Cessna U-206H Stationairs. The helicopter fleet consist of a fewBell UH-1H Iroquois,fiveBell 212and twoEurocopter AS-365N2 Dauphin.
The Air Force Academy (Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica) is located at General Artigas Air Base inPando,Canelones;the Air Force Technical School of Aeronautics (Escuela Técnica de Aeronáutica) in Toledo Sur,Canelones;and the Air Force Command Academy (Escuela de Comando y Estado Mayor Aéreo) at Captain Boiso Lanza Air Base inMontevideo.Training aircraft consists of twelve ItalianAermacchi SF-260EU,threeBeechcraft UB-55 and UB-58 Barons,and five SwissPilatus PC-7U Turbo Trainers.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), 2001.The Military Balance 2001-2002.Oxford: Oxford University Press. Op. cit. Nationmaster.com, 2008.[1]Archived2008-09-17 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved October 3, 2008.
- ^"Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product, 1988-2020"(PDF).SIPRI. 2021.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2023-04-05.
- ^"MFO - the Multinational Force & Observers".Archivedfrom the original on 2016-03-11.Retrieved2016-03-02.
- ^Uruguay; army buys additional Land-Rover DefendersArchived2015-04-04 at theWayback Machine- Dmilt.com, May 16, 2013
- ^Uruguay to produce Glock pistolsArchived2013-11-09 at theWayback Machine- Janes.com, 28 April 2013
- ^Uruguay SF Now Fielding Indigenous.50 BMGArchived2015-04-07 at theWayback Machine- Thefirearmblog.com, April 10, 2013
- ^Uruguay; Army short range anti-tank tender short listArchived2013-09-29 at theWayback Machine- Dmilt.com, 6 September 2013
- ^Uruguay; Anti-Tank rocket launchers deal cancelledArchived2014-04-07 at theWayback Machine- Dmilt.com, 5 April 2014
- ^"Sr. Comandante en Jefe".www.armada.mil.uy.Retrieved2021-12-29.
External links
edit
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional- Official site of the Uruguayan Department of National Defense (in Spanish)
- Ejército Nacional- Official site of the Uruguayan Army (in Spanish)
- Armada Nacional- Official site of the Uruguayan Navy (in Spanish)
- Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya- Official site of the Uruguayan Air Force (in Spanish)
- Memorias del tiempo de vuelo- Actual and Historical Site about Uruguayan Air Force (in Spanish)
- Uruguay Militaria- Uruguayan armed forces discussion forum (in Spanish)
- World RanksArchived2021-03-04 at theWayback Machine
- [2]Archived2016-03-15 at theWayback Machine