Military of Uruguay

The armed forces of Uruguay are constitutionally subordinate to the president through the Minister of Defense. By offering early retirement incentives, the government has trimmed the armed forces to about 14,500 for the army, 6,000 for the navy, and 3,000 for the air force. As of February 2003, Uruguay has 1,754 soldiers deployed in 11 UN peacekeeping missions. The largest groups are in the Congo, where 1,549 Uruguayan troops control one sector of the country, and the Sinai, where 60 troops are stationed.

Organisation

The armed forces of Uruguay are organised into:

• Army
• Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines)
• Air Force

Army

The Army consists of some 15,000 personnel organised into four divisions. It is equipped with 15 T-55 tanks, 29 M3A1s, 15 BMP-1s and 15 M-113.

Navy

The Navy consists of some 2,900 personnel and is organised into four commands. It consists of 3 frigates, 3 patrol crafts, 3 minesweepers and some other smaller craft. The Navy also includes four marine infantry brigades (company sized).

Air Force

The Air Force consists of some 3,000 personnel and is organized into three Air brigades. Combat aircraft include the FMA Pucará, and Cessna A-37. Training aircraft include the Siai-Marchetti SF260, Beech T-34, and Pilatus PC-7. Transport aircraft include the Lockheed-Martin C-130 Hercules, Embraer Emb-110 Bandeirante, Emb-120 Brasilia, Casa 212, Cessna 206, and Fokker F-27. Helicopters include the Westland Wessex, Bell UH-1, and the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin.

The Air Force Academy is located in Pando.

Statistics

Military manpower – availability:
males age 15–49: 831,297 (2003 est.)

Military manpower – fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 672,030 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures – dollar figure: $250 million (1999)

Military expenditures – percent of GDP: 1.1% (2000)

External links

• 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)