View source for Armed Forces of Uruguay

{{Short description|Combined military forces of Uruguay}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Armed Forces of Uruguay
| native_name = {{native name|es|Fuerzas armadas del Uruguay}}
| motto = 
| founded = 1828
| current_form = 
| disbanded = 
| branches = {{army|Uruguay}}<br />{{navy|Uruguay}}<br />{{air force|Uruguay}}
| headquarters = [[Montevideo]], [[Uruguay]]
| flying_hours = 
| website = <!--{{URL|example.mil}}-->
<!-- Leadership -->| commander-in-chief = [[Yamandú Orsi]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[President of Uruguay|President of the Republic]]
| chief minister = 
| chief minister_title = 
| minister = [[Armando Castaingdebat]]
| minister_title = [[Ministry of National Defense (Uruguay)|Ministry of National Defense]]
| commander_title = <!-- Manpower -->
| active = 24,000 (2001<ref>IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), 2001. ''The Military Balance 2001-2002''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Op. cit. Nationmaster.com, 2008. [http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_arm_for_per-military-armed-forces-personnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917210715/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_arm_for_per-military-armed-forces-personnel |date=2008-09-17 }}. Retrieved October 3, 2008.</ref>)
| ranked = 
| reserve = 
| deployed = <!-- Financial -->
| amount = $492 million (2008)
| percent_GDP = 2.3% (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product, 1988-2020 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405210252/https://sipri.org/sites/default/files/Data%20for%20all%20countries%20from%201988%E2%80%932020%20as%20a%20share%20of%20GDP%20(pdf).pdf |url=https://sipri.org/sites/default/files/Data%20for%20all%20countries%20from%201988%E2%80%932020%20as%20a%20share%20of%20GDP%20(pdf).pdf |publisher=SIPRI |date=2021}}</ref>
<!-- Industrial -->| domestic_suppliers = 
| foreign_suppliers = {{ARG}}<br />{{BRA}}<br />{{CAN}}<br />{{ISR}}<br />{{RUS}}<br />{{USA}}<br/>{{SIN}}
| imports = 
| exports = <!-- Related articles -->
| history = 
| ranks = [[Ranks of the Armed Forces of Uruguay]]
| image = Coat_of_arms_of_Uruguay.svg
| country = {{URY}}
| image_size = 250 px
| caption = Coat of Arms of Uruguay
| chief_of_staff_title = [[Defence Staff (Uruguay)|Chief of the Defence Staff]]
| chief_of_staff = [[Rodolfo Pereyra Martínez]]
}}
{{Uruguay main topics}}
The '''Armed Forces of [[Uruguay]]''' ({{langx|es|Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay}} or ''FF.AA. del Uruguay'') consist of the [[National Army (Uruguay)|National Army of Uruguay]], the [[National Navy of Uruguay]], and the [[Uruguayan Air Force]]. These three independent branches are [[Constitution of Uruguay|constitutionally]] subordinate to the [[President of Uruguay|President of the Republic]] through the [[Ministry of National Defense (Uruguay)|Minister 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 12 [[UN Peacekeeping]] missions. The largest groups are in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[Haiti]]. There is also a 58-man contingent in the [[Multinational Force and Observers|MFO]] in the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mfo.org/en/contingents |title=MFO - the Multinational Force & Observers |access-date=2016-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311013555/http://mfo.org/en/contingents |archive-date=2016-03-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> 

{{anchor|Army}}

==Army (Ejército Nacional)==
{{Main|National Army (Uruguay)|l1 = National Army of Uruguay}}

The Army consists of some 15,000 personnel organized into four [[division (military)|division]]s.

It is equipped with 15 Israeli [[T-54/55 operators and variants#Israel|Ti-67]] (T-55) Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), 17 American [[M24 Chaffee]] light tanks, 46 [[M41 Walker Bulldog#Variants|M41A1 Walker Bulldog]] light tanks, 24 American [[M113 armored personnel carrier#Basic variants|M113A1]] Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), 15 Czech [[BMP-1]] Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), 130 [[OT-64 SKOT]] APCs, 64 German [[Condor APC]]s, 15 Brazilian [[EE-9 Cascavel]], 18 [[EE-3 Jararaca]] [[Armored car (military)|armored car]]s, and 48 Russian lightly armored [[GAZ-3937]] amphibious vehicles.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} In 2008, Uruguay also purchased 44 6x6 Canadian-made [[AVGP]] APCs rehabilitated by [[FAMAE]] in Chile after retirement from the [[Canadian Army]], receiving a second batch of 100 of Grizzlys and 5 Huskys, the recovery version. It has 4 sets of [[RM-70]] multiple rocket launchers.  The army operates 40 [[Land Rover Defender|Land Rover Defender 110SW]] vehicles, and is looking to buy between 30 and 40 more.<ref>[http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6658:uruguay-army-buys-additional-land-rover-defenders-&catid=35:latin-america&Itemid=58 Uruguay; army buys additional Land-Rover Defenders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404062322/http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6658:uruguay-army-buys-additional-land-rover-defenders-&catid=35:latin-america&Itemid=58 |date=2015-04-04 }} - Dmilt.com, May 16, 2013</ref>

The current [[assault rifle]] used by the Army is the Argentinian-built version of the Belgian [[FN FAL]]; it is being replaced by the Austrian [[Steyr AUG]] following a bidding contest in 2007 and 2008. In addition, about 300 Russian [[AK-101]]s are already used, and the elite airborne, commando, and antiterrorist Battalion 14 (''Batallón de Infantería Paracaidista N.º 14'') exclusively employ German [[Heckler & Koch G36]]s.

The Army will receive locally produced [[Glock 17]] pistols as replacements for its legacy [[Browning Hi-Power]] and [[M1911]] pistols.<ref>[http://www.janes.com/article/12201/uruguay-to-produce-glock-pistols Uruguay to produce Glock pistols] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109145822/http://www.janes.com/article/12201/uruguay-to-produce-glock-pistols |date=2013-11-09 }} - Janes.com, 28 April 2013</ref>

Uruguay Special Forces are now fielding an indigenous [[.50 BMG]] sniper rifle called the [[FS50 Peregrino]].  It is a single-shot bolt-action rifle that was developed in Uruguay for about two years.<ref>[http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/04/10/uruguay-sf-fielding-indigenous-50-bmg/ Uruguay SF Now Fielding Indigenous .50 BMG] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407045203/http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/04/10/uruguay-sf-fielding-indigenous-50-bmg/ |date=2015-04-07 }} - Thefirearmblog.com, April 10, 2013</ref>

The Uruguayan Army was considering buying either the [[Panzerfaust 3]] or [[RPG-7]] as short-range anti-tank weapons.<ref>[http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7863:uruguay-army-short-range-anti-tank-tender-short-list&catid=35:latin-america&Itemid=58 Uruguay; Army short range anti-tank tender short list] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929233128/http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7863:uruguay-army-short-range-anti-tank-tender-short-list&catid=35:latin-america&Itemid=58 |date=2013-09-29 }} - Dmilt.com, 6 September 2013</ref> Acquisition of the rockets was cancelled due to lack of funds.<ref>[http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9731:uruguay-anti-tank-rocket-launchers-deal-cancelled&catid=1:europe&Itemid=57 Uruguay; Anti-Tank rocket launchers deal cancelled] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083442/http://dmilt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9731:uruguay-anti-tank-rocket-launchers-deal-cancelled&catid=1:europe&Itemid=57 |date=2014-04-07 }} - Dmilt.com, 5 April 2014</ref>

==Navy (Armada Nacional)==
{{Main|National Navy of Uruguay}}

The Navy consists of about 5,700 personnel under command of Admiral Jorge Wilson<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sr. Comandante en Jefe|url=https://www.armada.mil.uy/index.php/institucion/sr-comandante-en-jefe|access-date=2021-12-29|website=www.armada.mil.uy}}</ref> and is organized into four commands: the Fleet Command (''Comando de la Flota'' or ''COMFLO''), the Coast Guard (''Prefectura Nacional Naval'' or ''PRENA''), the Chief Directorate of Naval Materiel (''Dirección General de Material Naval'' or ''DIMAT''), and the Chief Directorate of Naval Personnel (''Dirección General de Personal Naval'' or ''DIPER'').  The Navy General Staff (''Estado Mayor General de la Armada'' or ''ESMAY'') acts as an advisory body to the admiral.

The current fleet consists of one ex-German [[Lüneburg-class replenishment ship]], refitted with helipad and used for helicopter patrol and transport and named ROU 04 ''General Artigas'', one former [[United States Coast Guard]] (USCG) Cape-class cutter, named ROU 11 ''Río Negro'', three former USCG Marine Protector-class patrol boat, named as ROU 14 ''Río Arapey'', ROU 15 ''Río de la Plata'' and ROU 16 ''Río Yaguaron'', three ex-East German [[List of naval ship classes in service#Minesweepers|''Kondor II'' class]] minesweepers, a three-masted [[staysail]] [[schooner]] named ''[[Capitán Miranda (schooner)|Capitán Miranda]]'' (ROU 20) and other smaller craft.

The Navy also includes Marine Corps and a small Naval Air Station at [[Laguna del Sauce]], equipped with two [[Beechcraft T-34C Turbo-Mentor|Beechcraft T-34C-1 Turbo Mentors]], two [[Beechcraft Super King Air]] and three [[Cessna O-2 Skymaster|Cessna O-2A Skymasters]] fixed-wing aircraft, and two [[Bell 412]] and one [[Bell OH-58 Kiowa|Bell OH-58A Kiowa]] helicopters.

The Uruguayan Naval Academy (''Escuela Naval'' or ''ESNAL'') is located in [[Carrasco, Montevideo|Carrasco]], a suburb of [[Montevideo]]. Instruction consists of a 4-year course of study culminating in a cruise on the instructional [[tall ship]] ''Capitán Miranda'', which lasts several weeks and takes graduates to various ports around the world.

==Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya)==
{{Main|Uruguayan Air Force|List of military aircraft of Uruguay}}

The 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 Cessna [[A-37 Dragonfly#Variants|A-37B Dragonflies]] and transport aircraft of two [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Lockheed C-130]]s, two [[Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante|Embraer C-95 Bandeirante]]s, one [[Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia|Embraer C-120ER Brasilia]], five Spanish [[CASA C.212|CASA C-212-200/300 Aviocar]]s and ten Cessna U-206H Stationairs. The helicopter fleet consist of a few [[Bell UH-1 Iroquois|Bell UH-1H Iroquois]], five [[Bell 212]] and two [[Eurocopter Dauphin|Eurocopter AS-365N2 Dauphin]].

The Air Force Academy (''Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica'') is located at General Artigas Air Base in [[Pando, Uruguay|Pando]], [[Canelones Department|Canelones]]; the Air Force Technical School of Aeronautics (''Escuela Técnica de Aeronáutica'') in Toledo Sur, [[Canelones Department|Canelones]]; and the Air Force Command Academy (''Escuela de Comando y Estado Mayor Aéreo'') at Captain Boiso Lanza Air Base in [[Montevideo]]. Training aircraft consists of twelve Italian [[Aermacchi SF.260|Aermacchi SF-260EU]], three [[Beechcraft Baron|Beechcraft UB-55 and UB-58 Baron]]s, and five Swiss [[Pilatus PC-7|Pilatus PC-7U Turbo Trainer]]s.

==See also==
* [[Cockade of Uruguay]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->

== External links ==
{{commons category|Military of Uruguay}}
* [http://www.mdn.gub.uy Ministerio de Defensa Nacional] - Official site of the Uruguayan Department of National Defense (in Spanish)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150323082101/http://www2.ejercito.mil.uy/ Ejército Nacional] - Official site of the Uruguayan Army (in Spanish)
* [http://www.armada.mil.uy/ Armada Nacional] - Official site of the Uruguayan Navy (in Spanish)
* [https://www.fau.mil.uy/es/ Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya] - Official site of the Uruguayan Air Force (in Spanish)
* [http://www.pilotoviejo.com Memorias del tiempo de vuelo] - Actual and Historical Site about Uruguayan Air Force (in Spanish)
* [http://www.uruguaymilitaria.com/Foro Uruguay Militaria] - Uruguayan armed forces discussion forum (in Spanish)
* [http://www.uniforminsignia.net/index.php?insignia World Ranks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304185313/https://pipni.cz/403 |date=2021-03-04 }}
* [http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/lainven.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315104510/http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/lainven.html |date=2016-03-15 }}

{{Uruguay topics}}
{{Military of Uruguay}}
{{Military of South America}}

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[[Category:Military of Uruguay| ]]