Military of Paraguay

Military of Paraguay
Service branches Paraguayan Navy
Paraguayan Army
Paraguayan Air Force
Manpower
Military age 17
Available for
military service
1,349,800, age 15–49 (2000 est.)
Fit for
military service
974,313, age 15–49 (2000 est.)
Reaching military
age annually
56,701 (2000 est.)
Expenditures
Budget $125 million (2006)
Percent of GDP 1% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliers  Brazil
 United States

The armed forces of Paraguay consist of the Paraguayan army, navy (including naval aviation and marine corps) and air force.

The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander-in-chief.

Paraguay has compulsory military service, and all 18-year-old males and 17-year-olds in the year of their 18th birthday are liable for one year of active duty. Although the 1992 constitution allows for conscientious objection, no enabling legislation has yet been approved.

In July 2005, military aid in the form of U.S. Special Forces began arriving at Paraguay's Mariscal Estigarribia air base, a sprawling complex built in 1982.[1][2]

Contents

Army

In land forces the Paraguayan Army is composed of a Presidential Escort Regiment, two battalions (infantry and military police), an armored squadron, and a battery of field artillery. Their equipment includes three Argentinean modified M-4 tanks, four EE-9 armored cars, four EE-11 armored personnel carriers (APCs), three M-9 half-tracks mounting 20mm guns, and four M-101 105 mm howitzers. Arguably, this "flagship" of military rule is structurally and physically the strongest of the EP. The REP is an independent unit from other commands. The EP features two artillery groups (GAC 1–12 88 mm QF-25 and GAC 2–12 105mm M-101) and one antiaircraft artillery group (GAA 13 40 mm L 40/60, Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, and six M-55 4x12, 7.0 mm).

Six battalions of combat engineers, one communications battalion, one Special Forces battalion, seven regiments of infantry, six regiments of cavalry (R.C.-2 equipped with 12 M3A1, five operational, 20 M9 semioruga and R.C.-3: 24 EE-9 Cascavels, eitht EE-11 Urutu). This has little organic aviation available to it.

Each corps has a weapons school run by its command. The logistical command manages 10 addresses materials, mobilization, health care, etc. The command of the Army Institute of Education administers three schools, commissioned and noncommissoned officers, a military academy, and the CIMEFOR (a center for pre-military study that trains Reserve officers).

Each of the nine divisions that make up the three corps has one or two regiments of infantry or cavalry, its platoon of engineers, its communications section, military police units, etc.

Order of Battle of the Paraguayan Army

Army:

Armored vehicles

Transportation

Artillery pieces and mortars

Anti Tank Weapoons

Infantry Equipment

Navy

Although Paraguay is a landlocked country, it has a strong naval tradition by virtue of the fact that it has access to the Atlantic Ocean through the ParaguayParaná rivers. The Paraguayan Navy has six bases. The main base is the Puerto Saxony in Asuncion, followed by Bahia, Negra, Ciudad del Este, Encamacion, Salto del Guaria. Ita-Peru. It also has facilities in Puerto Saxony for helicopters and airplanes in SGAS. Naval personnel including Marine Corps aviation personnel, and the naval guard equal about 1,950. The Marine Corps have 800 marines, of which 400 are assigned to one commando unit with the rest being organized into a single battalion consisting of three companies.

In terms of vessels, the Navy has 34 surface ships, some of which will soon reach centenarian age. (This is due in part to limited use and floating in fresh water.) The main vessels and the flagship of the Paraguay is still the Humaita, which was commissioned prior to Paraguay's involvement in the Chaco War. It has a further four patrol vessels, of which the oldest was commissioned in 1908 and the newest in 1985. The Navy has 17 patrol boats of various drafts, four of which were donated by Taiwan and the USA, while the other 13 were built locally. The rest of the fleet is composed of tug boats, barges, landing craft, transports, and a presidential yacht.

The core assets of Paraguay's naval aviation wing are 2 attack helicopters, the Aeschylu Eurocopter AS350. It also has 6 training and liaison Cessna airplanes.

Navy:

Naval aviation

Aircraft Origin Type Version In service Notes
Helicopters
Helibras HB350 Esquilo  Brazil utility helicopter HB350B 2 [3]
Trainer aircraft
Cessna 150  United States training aircraft 150M 2 [3]
Utility aircraft
Cessna 210  United States liaison aircraft 210 1 [3]
Cessna 310  United States liaison aircraft 310 2 [3]
Cessna 401  United States transport aircraft 401 1 [3]

Air Force

The air force, the newest and smallest of the services, has about 1,100 personnel. The Paraguayan Air Forces is organised in an Air Brigade of seven air groups and a brigade of paratroopers on battalion level. Almost all operating units are based in premises at Silvio Pettirosi internacional airport (SGAS) in Asuncion.

The units compromising the force are: the Aerotactico group (TAG) with three fighter squadrons (numbered 1 to 3), respectively equipped with the MB-326, T-33 and EMB-312.It is noteworthy that the first two are in storage or operating either by withdrawal of this aircraft. The squadron "Moros", equipped with Tucanos, has only one squadron (3 airplanes active). The Air Transport Group (GTA) operates aircraft of the CASA, DHC-6, and Beechcraft types. The Helicopter air group (HLG) has a SAR squadron, a utility squadron, and a squadron of attack craft, and is equipped with ex-Taiwanese UH-1H and Brazilian HB-350B aircraft. The Air Group Instruction (AFI) has materials and T-25 and T-35 aircraft. Photogrammetric called air group (GAF) and group aviation maintenance section (SEMAER) do not have aircraft assigned. The Parachute Brigade operates CASA aircraft.

Besides these groups is a command of Institutes of Education and one of regions air, this latter has nominal jurisdiction over 12 tracks and airports as six of these are considered Air Bases.[3]

ORBAT

Aircraft Origin Type Version In service Notes
Attack Aircraft
Embraer EMB 312 Tucano  Brazil COIN 6
Trainer Aircraft
Neiva N621 Universal  Brazil basic trainer T-25 6
ENAER T-35 Pillán  Chile basic trainer T-35 10
Transport Aircraft
Cessna 206 Stationair  United States liaison aircraft 206 3
Cessna 210 Centurion  United States liasion aircraft 210 1
Embraer EMB-721 Sertanejo  Brazil liasion aircraft EMB-721C 1
Baron 58  United States liasion aircraft Baron 58 1
Beechcraft Bonanza 33 Debonair  United States liasion aircraft Beech 33 1
Beechcraft Bonanza A36 Bonanza  United States liasion aircraft Beech 33 2
Cessna 310  United States transport 310 1
Cessna 402  United States transport 402B 2
de Haviland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter  Canada utility aircraft DHC-6 1
CASA C-212  Spain transport
medevac
C-212
C-212-400
4
1
Piper Seneca  United States transport aircraft PA-34 1
Piper PA-23 Aztec  United States transport aircraft PA-23 1
Helicopters
Helibras HB-350 Esquilo  Brazil transport helicopter HB-350 3
Bell UH-1 Iroquois  United States transport helicopter UH-1H 9

Military Ranks

Officer Ranks

The stars worn by Army and Air Force lieutenants (Sub-Teniente, Teniente, Teniente 1ro) and captains are silver in color. The ones worn by the Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel are gold. The army officers branch is denoted by the color of circular pads under the stars, which is also the same color used for the chevron. Red denotes branches such as Infantry and Artillery, while Cavalry is denoted by a pink. A darker red denotes support branches such as Engineering Corps, Communications, and Intelligence. Green means Supply and Transportation, while purple is reserved for the Medicine Branch. Generals' special chevron consists of a woven depiction of the olive and palm found in the national emblem in gold threads.

Enlisted Ranks

As in the case of the army officers, the army enlisted branch is denoted by the color of their chevrons and bars. The colors and meanings are the same as the ones explained above.

See also

References