View source for Nicaraguan Navy

{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
{{Update|date=August 2014}}
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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= Nicaraguan Navy
|native_name= {{lang|es|Fuerza Naval del Ejercito de Nicaragua}}
|image= FN-Nic.jpg
|caption= 
|start_date= {{Start date and age|1980}}
|country= {{flag|Nicaragua}}
|allegiance=
|branch= 
|type= [[Navy]]
|role= [[Naval warfare]]
|size= 
|command_structure= [[Nicaraguan Armed Forces]]
|garrison= 
|garrison_label= Headquarters
|nickname= 
|patron= 
|motto= 
|colors= 
|colors_label= 
|march= 
|mascot=
|equipment= 
|equipment_label=
|battles=
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
<!-- Commanders -->
|commander1= {{Flagicon image|Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg|size=23px}} [[President of Nicaragua|President]] [[Daniel Ortega]]
|commander1_label= Commander-in-Chief
|commander2= [[Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro]]
|commander2_label= Minister of Defence
|commander3= Rear Admiral Ángel Eugenio Fonseca Donaire
|commander3_label= Chief of Naval Force 
|notable_commanders=
<!-- Insignia -->
|identification_symbol= [[Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg|100px|border]]
|identification_symbol_label= Ensign
<!-- Aircraft -->
|aircraft_attack=
|aircraft_bomber= 
|aircraft_electronic=
|aircraft_fighter=
|aircraft_helicopter= 
|aircraft_interceptor=
|aircraft_patrol=
|aircraft_recon=
|aircraft_trainer=
|aircraft_transport=
}}

The '''Nicaraguan Navy''', officially the '''Naval Force of the Nicaraguan Army''', ({{langx|es|Fuerza Naval del Ejercito de Nicaragua}}) is the naval service branch of the [[Nicaraguan Armed Forces]]. The navy's mission is to ensure the defense and security of the islands, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Nicaragua in the Pacific Ocean and [[Caribbean Sea]].

==History==
Founded on August 13, 1980, as the Sandinista Navy, it consisted of a few old [[patrol boat]]s in the early 1980s. The Sandinistas acquired eight [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Yevgenya class minesweeper]]s, of which seven remained in 1993. Three Soviet Zhuk-class patrol boats were believed to be seaworthy, out of seven that remained at the end of 1990. Also believed to be operational are three [[North Korea]]n fast patrol boats as well as two [[Vedette (sentry)|Vedette]]-type boats built in France and armed with Soviet 14.5mm machine guns.

The primary mission was to discourage seaborne [[Contras|Contra]] attacks and to deter [[CIA]]-run operations such as the destruction of diesel storage facilities at [[Corinto, Nicaragua|Corinto]] in 1983 and the mining of [[Nicaragua]]n harbors in 1984. The [[Sandinista]] navy ({{Lang|es|Marina de Guerra Sandinista}}—MGS), which had reached a peak strength of 3,000 personnel in 1990, suffered a sweeping reduction to 800 by 1993.

Nicaragua ordered two additional patrol vessels based on the [[Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel|Damen Stan 4207 design]] in 2017.<ref name=navyrecognition2019-08-09/>  The vessels were commissioned as [[Soberanía I (409)|''Soberanía'' I (409)]] and [[Soberanía II (411)|''Soberanía'' II (411)]] in August 2019. Unlike many other nations' vessels, which are designed solely for coast guard or environmental monitoring, these two have added a military sensor suite and a deck gun.  Militarizing the vessels boosted their cost from US$20 million to US$65 million.  The vessels used had previously been employed by [[Jamaica]] - [[HMJS Cornwall (2005)|HMJS ''Cornwall'']] and [[HMJS Surrey|HMJS ''Surrey'']].<ref name=Janes2019-08-09/><ref name=Defensa2019-03-12/>

==Organization==
The commander of the navy was a [[Sandinista Popular Army]] ({{Lang|es|Ejército Popular Sandinista}}—EPS) officer with the rank of major. The principal bases of the MGS are at the ports of Corinto on the Pacific and [[Puerto Cabezas]] on the Caribbean. Other installations are at [[El Bluff]] near [[Bluefields]] and [[San Juan del Sur]] on the Pacific.

==Fleet==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Class
!Origin
!Type
!In service
!Fleet
|-
|[[Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel|Damen Stan 4207 Patrol Vessel]]
|[[Netherlands]]
|Patrol Vessel
|2
|
|-
|[[:es:Clase Rodman-101|Clase Rodman-101]]
|[[Spain]]
|Fast Patrol Boat
|4
|
|-
|[[Sin Hung-class torpedo boat]]
|[[North Korea]]
|Torpedo Boat
|2
|
|-
|[[Zhuk-class patrol boat]]
|[[Soviet Union]]
|Patrol Boat
|3
|
|-
|[[Dabur-class patrol boat]]
|[[Israel]]
|Fast Patrol Boat
|10
|
|-
|[[Vedette côtière de surveillance maritime|Vedettes côtières de surveillance maritime]]
|[[France]]
|Swift Boat
|2
|
|}

==Ranks==
{{main|Nicaragua military ranks}}
===Commissioned officer ranks===
The rank insignia of [[commissioned officer]]s.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/Nicaragua}}
|}

===Other ranks===
The rank insignia of [[non-commissioned officer]]s and [[Enlisted rank|enlisted personnel]].
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/Nicaragua}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs= 
<ref name=Defensa2019-03-12>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.defensa.com/centro-america/patrulleras-damen-entran-servicio-fuerza-naval-nicaragua
| title       = Las Patrulleras Damen entran en servicio en la Fuerza Navalde Nicaragua
| work        = [[Defensa]] 
| author      = Julio Montes
| date        = 2019-03-12
| language    = Spanish
| trans-title = Damen patrol cars enter service in the Naval Force of Nicaragua 
| accessdate  = 2019-08-09
| quote       = Los navios tenian el numero de astillero YN549860 y YV 549862, correspondientes al ex HMJS Cornall, y el ex HMJS Surrey.
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Janes2019-08-09>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.janes.com/article/89775/nicaragua-commissions-new-damen-patrol-vessels
| title       = Nicaragua commissions new Damen patrol vessels
| work        = [[Jane's Navy International]]
| author      = Alejandro Sanchez
| date        = 2019-08-09
| location    = [[Washington, DC]]
| accessdate  = 2019-08-09
| quote       = Plans to acquire two Damen Stan Patrol 4207 craft from Damen were confirmed in December 2017. The ships are understood to have previously been operated by Jamaica until 2016 and were overhauled in the Netherlands.
}}
</ref>

<ref name=navyrecognition2019-08-09>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2019/august/7367-nicaraguan-navy-commissions-two-more-damen-stan-patrol-4207-vessels.html
| title       = Nicaraguan Navy commissions two more Damen Stan Patrol 4207 vessels
| work        = [[Navy Recognition]]
| date        = 2019-08-09
| accessdate  = 2019-08-09
| quote       = Rather than design vessels that were strictly for naval use, the underlying Damen Stan patrol vessel designs do not include weapons nor a sensor suite. The designs have been adapted for constabulary duties, and for fishery and environmental patrols. According to Sanjay Badri-Maharaj, of the -Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, described how adding an autocannon and military-class sensor suite to the USCG's Sentinel-class boosted its cost per vessel from $20 million USD to $65 million.
}}
</ref>
}}

{{Navies in Latin America}}

[[Category:Military of Nicaragua]]
[[Category:Navies by country]]


{{Nicaragua-stub}}