Corps of Naval Fusiliers

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Brazilian Marine Corps
Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais
Active 1797 - present
Country Flag of Brazil Brazil
Branch Brazilian Navy
Type Marines
Size 15,000
Part of Navy
Ministry of Defence
General-Command HQ Rio de Janeiro
Motto Adsumus
Colors Red; White
Anniversaries March 07
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Commander of the Navy Admiral Júlio Soares de Moura Neto
General-Commander of the Marine Corps Admiral Álvaro Augusto Dias Monteiro

The Corps of Naval Fusiliers (Portuguese: Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais; CFN) is the land combat branch of the Brazilian Navy.

Contents

[edit] Mission

Deployed nationwide, along the coasts, in the marginal regions of Amazônia and in the Pantanal, in peacetime it provides for the security of Naval installations and aids isolated populations through civic action programs in the Naval Districts. Externally, it provides security for the embassies of Brazil in Algeria, in Paraguay, in Haiti and in Bolivia. It has participated in all of the armed conflicts in the Military history of Brazil.

[edit] Corps badge

The badge consist of an encircled anchor superimposed over a pair of crossed rifles which is worn on all headgear while a similar badge without the circle is worn on the collar points of the dress and service uniforms.

[edit] History

[edit] The Royal Brigade of the Navy

The CFN was originally the old Royal Brigade of the Navy, a unit of Marine Soldiers created in Portugal by HRM Queen Maria I in 1797.

The Brazilian Marines trace their origin to 1808 when the troops of the Royal Brigade of the Navy (the Portuguese Marine Corps) arrived in Brazil (then a Portuguese colony) when Mary I of Portugal and her son and regent John VI fled Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.

[edit] The baptism of fire: the conquest of Cayenne

In retaliation for the invasion of Portugal, Prince Regent, Dom João commanded the invasion of French Guiana, whose capital, Cayenne, was captured on the 14th of January 1809.

[edit] Historical campaigns

Later, the unit was involved in diverse campaigns, in the War of the independence of Brazil, in the conflicts of the basin of the Silver, and in War of the Triple Alliance. In this last one, it was distinguished in action in the Battle of Riachuelo and in taking of Humaitá.

[edit] United Nations service

The CFN if has participated in the humanitarian actions promoted by UN in such diverse theaters of operation as Bosnia, Honduras, Moçambique, Ruanda, Angola, East Timor, and recently, in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

[edit] The Corps today

Brazilian Marines in the red gala uniform titled "Alexandrino"
Brazilian Marines in the red gala uniform titled "Alexandrino"

[edit] Staff and mission

With about 15,000 men, all volunteers, professionals in combat on land, air and sea, its mission is to guarantee the projection of the naval power on land, by means of landings carried through with ships and staff of the Navy.

In the case of Brazil this is a complex mission, at this time whose territory equals about 8,5 million km², the coast of more than 7,400 km with many oceanic islands, and a navigable waterways network of approximately 50,000 km. This last one is Brazilian Amazon. To cover climates and natural landscapes so diversified as Pampas of Rio Grande Do Sul, pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, deserts of the Northeast region and Amazonian Rainforest, it demands a training of the highest standards, agility and versatility. In this way units trained in techniques consist of demolition, action special, action in the forests, the mountain and the ice, and heliborne actions.

Trained as “Force of Ready Job”, recently, with the sending of Brazilian military observers, also integrating the Peacekeeping Forces of the United Nations, the Marines have made their presence in so distinct areas of conflict as El Salvador, Bosnia, Angola, Moçambique, Ruanda, Peru, Ecuador, East Timor and, more recently, Haiti.

[edit] Organization

The corps headquarters is located in Fortaleza de São José, Ilha das Cobras, Rio de Janiero.

[edit] Fleet Fusilier Force

The Fleet Fusilier Force (Força de Fuzileiros da Esquadra (FFE)) consists of the following units:

  • 1st Amphibious Division (Divisão Anfíbia (DivAnf)) of brigade size with the following:
    • Command and Control Battalion (Batalhão de Comando e Controle),
    • Three Naval Fuslilier Battalions (Infantry) (Batalhão de Fuzileiros Navais (BFN)):
      • 1st "Riachuelo" Battalion,
      • 2nd "Humaita" Battalion
      • 3rd "Paissandu" Battalion
    • Naval Fusiliers' Artillery Battalion (Batalhão de Artilharia de Fuzileiros Navais),
    • Armoured Vehicle Battalion (Batalhão de Blindados), with 17 SK 105 tank destroyers
    • Tactical Air Control and Air-defense Battalion (Batalhão de Controle Aerotático e Defesa Antiaérea)
    • Governor's Island Naval Fusilier Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais da Ilha do Governador),
  • Reinforcement Troops (Tropa de Reforço (TrRef)) located in Ilha das Flores in São Gonçalo (RJ)
    • 1st Naval Fusilier Engineer Battalion (Batalhão de Engenharia de Fuzileiros Navais),
    • 1st Naval Fusilier Logistic Battalion (Batalhão Logístico de Fuzileiros Navais),
    • Amphibious Vehicles Battalion (Batalhão de Viaturas Anfíbias), with 13 AAV-7A1 ,9 LVTP-7A1, 2 LVTC-7A1 and 1 LVTR-7A1
    • Police Company (Companhia de Polícia)
    • Disembarcation Company (Apoio ao Desembarque) - a company sized unit responsible for the loading and unloading of troops and equipment from ships, especially landing craft.
    • Isle of Flowers Naval Fusilier Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais da Ilha das Flores),
  • Disembarkation Troops Command (Comando da Tropa de Desembarque (ComTrDbq)), located at Duque de Caxias (RJ) - provides the means to command, control and administer the Command of the Fleet Marine Force and to also local units.
    • Naval Fusilier Special Operations Battalion "Toneleros" (Batalhão de Operações Especiais de Fuzileiros Navais (Batalhão Tonelero)) A unit similar to US Navy SEALs formed in 1957 and structured for high risk operations. Its mission is to destroy or damage prominent objectives in heavily defended areas, capture or rescue personnels or equipment, seize installations, obtain information, mislead and produce psychological effects.
  • Rio Meriti Naval Fusilier Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais do Rio Meriti (BFNRM)), located in Duque de Caxias (RJ)
  • ships detachments

[edit] Regional

"Groupings of Naval Fusiliers" (Grupamentos de Fuzileiros Navais (GFN)) are subordinate to the Naval Districts (Distritos Navales), for the security of naval installations, as well as performing operations in support of Naval District. They are located in the vicinity of the local Naval District headquarters. The 8º Naval District does not possess any such grouping. GFNs are companies the size of small battalions.

[edit] Methods

To fulfill its missions, the Marines are disembarked of the ships of the Navy of Brazil, be it using landing boats, amphibious vehicles or helicopters. For this they count on the support of the navy and/or sea and air support.

On land, it operates its normal ways, which include tanks, field artillery, antiaircraft artillery, combat engineering, communications and electronic warfare.

[edit] Training

To fulfill its missions, fusiliers must pass a rigorous physical training program, normally with many runs, calisthenics, sleep deprivation, swimming while holding their breath, practice shooting with diverse armaments, especially metal rings, rappeling and, in some cases, combat.

[edit] Motto

The motto of the Corps is “Adsumus”, that in Latin means: Here we are!

[edit] Main Equipment

The Corps has a modern arsenal, composed by:

  • 17 SK 105
  • 14 KH7-AARV (recovery)
  • 13 [AAV-7A1(PI)
  • 9 LVTP-7A1
  • 2 LVTC-7A1 (command)
  • 2 LVTR-7A1 (recovery)
  • 24 M113A1
  • 2 M125A1 (w/ 81mm mortar)
  • 2 M577 (command)
  • 1 XM806 E1 (armour medical vehycle)
  • 1 M113 AIG (recovery}
  • 8 Mowag Piranha III (8x8)
  • 6 M114 155mm towed howitzer
  • 18 L118 105mm towed howitzer
  • 6 M101 105mm towed howitzer
  • 6 K6A 120mm towed mortar
  • 6 Bofors 40 mm gun AA
  • 6 MANPADS Mistral launcher AA missile
  • AT4 84mm rocket launcher
  • FN MAG 7.62x51mm
  • FN MINIMI 5.56x45mm
  • M16A2 5.56x45mm
  • M4 carbine 5.56x45mm used by Recon. Battalion
  • Beretta model 92F pistol 9x19mm
  • Hale-Parker M85 sniper rifle 7.62x51mm

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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