Armed Forces of Guatemala (Redirected from Guatemalan Army)

Armed Forces of Guatemala
Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala (Spanish)
Emblems of the Guatemalan Armed Forces' services branches
Service branchesGuatemalan Army
Guatemalan Air Force
Guatemalan Navy
Presidential Honor Guard
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Bernardo Arévalo
Minister of National Defence Henry Saenz Ramos
Chief of the General Staff William Arnulfo López
Personnel
Military age18
Active personnel106,114
Reserve personnel90,000
Expenditures
BudgetUSD $120 million (FY99)
Percent of GDP0.6% (FY99)
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of Guatemala

The Guatemalan Armed Forces (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala) is the unified military organization comprising the Guatemalan Army, Navy, Air Force, and Presidential Honor Guard. The president of Guatemala is the commander-in-chief of the military, and formulates policy, training, and budget through the Minister of Defence. Day-to-day operations are conducted by the Chief of the General Staff.

History

Guatemala is a signatory to the Rio Pact and was a member of the Central American Defense Council (CONDECA). The President of the Republic is commander-in-chief.

Prior to 1945 the Defence Ministry was titled the Secretariat of War (Secretaría de la Guerra).

An agreement signed in September 1996, which is one of the substantive peace accords, mandated that the mission of the armed forces change to focus exclusively on external threats. Presidents Álvaro Arzú and his successors Alfonso Portillo, Óscar Berger and Álvaro Colom, have used a constitutional clause to order the army on a temporary basis to support the police in response to a nationwide wave of violent crime, a product of the Mexican criminal organizations going across the north-west region.

The peace accords call for a one-third reduction in the army's authorized strength and budget — achieved in 2004 — and for a constitutional amendment to permit the appointment of a civilian minister of defense. A constitutional amendment to this end was defeated as part of a May 1999 plebiscite, but discussions between the executive and legislative branches continue on how to achieve this objective.

In 2004 the army has gone beyond its accord-mandated target, and has implemented troop reductions from an estimated 28,000 to 15,500 troops, including subordinate air force (1,000) and navy (1,000) elements. It is equipped with armaments and material from the United States, Israel, Taiwan, Argentina, Spain, and France. As part of the army downsizing, the operational structure of 19 military zones and three strategic brigades are being recast as several military zones are eliminated and their area of operations absorbed by others. The air force operates three air bases; the navy has two port bases.

The Guatemalan army has a special forces unit (specializing in anti-insurgent jungle warfare) known as the Kaibiles. In 2011, a Guatemalan court convicted four members of the Kaibiles, of killing more than 200 civilians in the Dos Erres massacre in 1982. Each man was sentenced to 6,050 years in prison. Their convictions for their roles in the massacre nearly 30 years prior, in which soldiers killed more than 200 men, women, and children, would not have happened if not for the courage of victims of violence and Guatemala's attorney general, Claudia Paz y Paz. After the convictions of the Dos Erres four, based on a Guatemalan government's commitment to reorganize its special forces units, the U.S. Department of Defense resumed military aid.

Armed Forces Day

The Día del Ejército (Army Day or Armed Forces Day) is celebrated on 30 June, although if it occurs on a Tuesday or Wednesday it is celebrated on the prior Monday, and if it occurs on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday it moves to the following Monday.

Organization

The Armed Forces today number at around 39,000 active personnel.

Leadership

Service branches

Army

The Army or Land Forces are the oldest military branch of the armed forces. In the middle of the 19th century, General Rafael Carrera promoted it with the triumph in the Battle of San José La Arada, dated to 2 February 1851, a date that is today commemorated as the day of this branch.

Members of the Navy

Navy

The Navy was founded on 15 January 1959, by the then President Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, due to the need to protect the country's marine resources, which at the time were the object of illegal predation by fishing boats from neighboring countries. It is a state entity with functions as a police agency for seas and rivers.

Air Force

The Guatemalan Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca; FAG) constitutes the aviation portion of the Guatemalan Army. Founded in 1921, it is organized, equipped and trained to plan, conduct and execute the actions imposed by the State Military Defense in relation to the use of air power.

Honor Guard

The Presidential Honor Guard of Guatemala is a branch of the Guatemalan Land Forces, responsible for the care and protection of the President of the Republic, as well as the Vice President.

Equipment

Small arms

Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Pistols
M1911 .45 ACP Semi-automatic pistol  United States
Browning Hi-Power 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Belgium
Beretta 92 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Italy
Walther P38 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Nazi Germany
Glock 19 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Austria
SIG Sauer P226 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol   Switzerland
Shotguns
Valtro PM5/350 12 gauge Shotgun  Italy Use by Kaibiles; stockless configuration with 350mm barrel
Submachine guns
Uzi 9×19mm Submachine gun  Israel
Mini-Uzi 9×19mm Submachine gun
FMK-3 9×19mm Submachine gun  Argentina
MAC-10 9×19mm Submachine gun  United States
M3 Grease Gun 9×19mm Submachine gun  United States M3 and M3A1
Beretta M12 9×19mm Submachine gun  Italy
Rifles
AKM 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AKS-74U 5.45×39mm Carbine
Assault rifle
 Soviet Union
Samopal vz.58 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
IMI Galil 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Israel
IWI Galil ACE 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Israel
Galil Córdova 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Colombia
Tavor CTAR21 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Israel In use with Kaibiles
M16 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  United States
Colt 727 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  United States In use with Kaibiles
Colt 733 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  United States In use with Kaibiles
M4 5.56×45mm Carbine
Assault rifle
 United States
T65 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Taiwan
ArmaLite AR-10 7.62×51mm Battle rifle  United States
Machine guns
Daewoo K3 5.56×45mm Light machine gun  South Korea
Browning M1919 7.62×51mm Medium machine gun  United States
Browning M2 .50 BMG Heavy machine gun  United States
FN MAG 7.62×51mm General-purpose machine gun  Belgium
Sniper and anti-materiel rifles
Barrett M82 .50 BMG Anti-materiel rifle  United States
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
M20 Super Bazooka 60mm Rocket-propelled grenade  United States
M7A2 LAW Rocket-propelled grenade  United States
Grenade launchers
M203 40×46mm SR Grenade launcher  United States
M79 40×46mm Grenade launcher  United States

Anti-tank weapons

Name Image Type Origin Caliber Notes
M40A1 Recoilless rifle  United States 105mm 56 in service.
M-1968 Recoilless rifle  Argentina 105mm 64 in service.

Tanks

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
M41 Walker Bulldog Light tank  United States 10 INS

Reconnaissance

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
RBY Mk 1 Reconnaissance vehicle  Israel 10 INS
M8 Greyhound Armored car  United States 12 INS

Armored personnel carriers

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
M113 Armored personnel carrier  United States 10 INS
Cadillac Gage Commando Armored personnel carrier  United States 7 INS
Armadillo Armored personnel carrier  Guatemala 30

Utility vehicles

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
AIL Abir Utility vehicle  Israel 20 INS
M151 Utility vehicle  United States Unknown INS
Trucks
M35 Utility truck  United States Unknown INS
M54 Utility truck  United States Unknown INS
Ural-4320 Utility truck  Russia 3 INS
Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer Utility truck   Switzerland Unknown INS

Artillery

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Mortars
M224 Mortar  United States 625 INS
Field artillery
M-56 Howitzer  Yugoslavia 26 INS
M101 Howitzer  United States 24 INS

Air defence systems

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Bofors L/60 Autocannon  Sweden Unknown INS
Blowpipe MANPADS  United Kingdom 82 launchers. INS

Notable military personnel


This page was last updated at 2024-03-16 21:26 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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