Paraguayan Army

The Paraguayan Army is an institution of the State of Paraguay, organized into three divisions and 9, and several commands and direction. It has gone to war on three occasions: in the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay; the Chaco War against Bolivia; and the ongoing Paraguayan People's Army insurgency.

Paraguayan Army
Paraguayan Army Seal
FoundedOfficially since 1811
Country Paraguay
TypeArmy
Size20.000 active personnel[1]
160.000 reserves
Motto(s)Spanish: Vencer o Morir
To win or to die
MarchMarcha al Mariscal Lopez
Anniversaries24 of July (Mariscal Lopez Birthday)
EngagementsWar of the Triple Alliance
Chaco War
Paraguayan People's Army insurgency
Commanders
Chief of the Paraguayan ArmyGEN Darío Martin Cáceres Snead
Notable
commanders
José Félix Estigarribia
Francisco Solano López

Mission

  • Maintaining the sanctity of the land borders of the Republic of Paraguay.
  • To strengthen civil-military relations.
  • Cooperate in emergency rescue and relief operations during disasters.
  • Organize, compose and manage reservations.
  • To organize, equip and train strength to face any domestic or international threat/
  • Cooperate in activities to support the country's national development.
  • To cooperate with scientific and technological development of the country.

History

Uniforms of cavalry and infantry of the Paraguayan army at the time of the War of the Triple Alliance.

Paraguay's army was formally established in 1811, the year of the country's independence. For the first several years of Paraguay's existence the commanders of the army, such as Fulgencio Yegros and Pedro Juan Caballero, formed the majority of the cabinet until 1814, when they were replaced by Dr. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, who installed himself as supreme dictator for life after a series of political clashes with Yegros. Francia removed all army personnel from the government and reformed the army, which was by now inept and corrupt. He limited the power of the army by declaring that no rank above captain could be achieved, and that after three years of service officers were to be retired. By 1816 there were no officers in the army who had fought at the Tacuari or the Paraguari. Francia's horse-grenadier guard company was the first new unit created and was to form the nucleus of the army. Each captain was given command of a branch of the service, which consisted of line infantry, light infantry, dragoons, chasseurs, hussars and artillery. The infantry, artillery and hussars were stationed in the capital Asuncion, and the rest of the army was stationed in outposts around the country to defend from attacks by Indians. The cavalry would go dismounted during peacetime, and were distinguished by the yellow aiguillette sewn onto their left shoulder. Although no formal wars were fought, conflicts with the Chaco Indians, particularly the sub-groups of the Guaykuru tribes, raged in the borderlands. The size of the army varied according to the magnitude of threat. In 1825 it was 5000 strong, but in 1834 it was only 649 strong. There was also a large number of militia troops, which usually numbered around 25,000.

After Francia's death in 1840, Carlos Antonio Lopez assumed power and modernized the army and expanded the navy. He opened an iron foundry at Ybycui that produced arms and bullets and also built up a railway system in the country to transport troops and materiel.

Following the succession of Lopez's son, Francisco Solano López, the army was expanded yet further until it was one of the largest in South America, consisting by 1864 of 44 infantry battalions, 46 cavalry regiments and four artillery regiments. In that same year Paraguay fought its first actual war against Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Despite numerical superiority and initial success, the allies soon upped their game and Paraguay eventually found itself surrounded. Despite constant defeat on the field by the allies, the Paraguayans did not capitulate until Lopez had been killed in 1870, on the run with his 200 remaining men.

Presence in UN Missions

Structure

As of 2016, the Paraguayan Army had a total strength of 10,600 personnel, including 2,500 conscripts.[1]

The Paraguayan Army is composed of Presidential Guard Regiment, two battalions (infantry and military police), an armored squadron and a battery of field artillery (plus the Mounted Ceremonial Squadron "Aca Caraya"). Their equipment includes three Argentine modified M4 Sherman tanks, four EE-9 armored cars, four EE-11 armored personnel carriers (APCs), three M-9 halftracks 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 4×12, 7.0 mm).

Six battalions of combat engineers, one communications battalion, one Special Forces battalion, seven regiments of infantry and six regiments of cavalry comprise the rest of the force. There is little organic aviation available to it.

Each corps has a weapons school run by its command. The logistical command manages and 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.

  • Presidential Guard Regiment with its base in Asuncion
  • 1st Army Corps (Curuguaty)
    • Infantry Division 3
    • Infantry Division 4
    • Cavalry Division 3
  • 2nd Army Corps (San Juan Bautista)
    • Infantry Division 1
    • Infantry Division 2
    • Cavalry Division 2
  • 3rd Army Corps (Mariscal Estigarribia)
    • Infantry Division 5
    • Infantry Division 6
    • Cavalry Division 1
  • Special forces command (Cerrito)
    • One Special Forces battalion and one Special Forces school.
  • Army Artillery command (Paraguari)
    • Two artillery groups and one anti-aircraft group, one artillery school.
  • The Infantry School and the Infantry Training Battalion.
  • Army Command of engineers (Tacumbu)
    • One school and six battalions.
  • Army communications command(Tacumbu)
    • One school and one signal battalion.
  • Army Training and Doctrine Command
    • Operates the Francisco Lopez Military Academy, three military schools, and a noncommissoned officers school
  • Army logistic command (Asuncion)
    • The logistic command manages and addresses materials, mobilization, health care, etc.

Armored vehicles

ModelTypeOriginQuantityNotes
M4 ShermanMedium tank United States3[1]Retired in 2018[2]
M3 StuartLight tank United States10[3]10 operational as of 2014, 4 more in storage[3]
M9 Half-trackArmored personnel carrier United States23[4]
EE-9 CascavelArmored car Brazil28[4]Upgraded in Brazil in 2008.
EE-11 UrutuArmored personnel carrier Brazil12[4]

Logistic vehicles

ModelTypeOriginQuantityNotes
M.Benz AtegoTactical truck Brazil
M.Benz 1414/51Tactical truck Brazil
UnimogUtility truck Germany
MAN 630Tactical truck Germany100Upgraded in Germany in 1994
MAN KAT1Tactical truck Germany20Ordered in 2013
Engesa EE 25Tactical truck Brazil5?Maybe not operational
Ford Cargo 17-22Tactical truck Brazil+78
Ford RangerUtility vehicle Argentina19
Land Rover Defender 130Utility vehicle United Kingdom96
Land Rover Defender 110Utility vehicle United Kingdom
Agrale MarruaUtility vehicle Brazil17
Chevrolet S10Utility vehicle Brazil104
Mitsubishi L200Utility vehicle Brazil+11
ARGO 8×8Amphibious all-terrain vehicle Canada12

Artillery pieces and mortars

ModelTypeOriginQuantityNotes
M101 howitzerHowitzer United States20/26105 mm
Ordnance QF 25-pounderHowitzer United Kingdom1287.6 mm
7.5 cm FK 38 KruppHowitzer Germany1275 mm, in reserve.
Bofors 75 mm Model 1934Mountain gun Sweden6/1275 mm, in reserve.
M20 recoilless rifleRecoilless rifle United States?75 mm
Brandt mle 27/31Mortar France8081 mm
M30 mortarMortar United States8107 mm
M-120 120 mmMortar United States38120 mm
60 mm MortarMortar Spain4260 mm
M1A1Anti-aircraft artillery United States1090 mm
Bofors 40 mm L/60Towed anti-aircraft artillery Sweden1340 mm
Oerlikon 20 mm cannonAnti-aircraft artillery  Switzerland2020 mm, some mounted in vehicles.
Oerlikon GAI- BO1 20 mmAnti-aircraft artillery  Switzerland320 mm
M3 Half-trackhalf-track Armored personnel carrier United States3Armed with 20 mm cannons

Anti-Armor Weapons

ModelOriginTypeQuantityNotes
Anti-Armor Guns
M40 United States106 mm. Recoilless rifle06
M20 United States75 mm. Recoilless rifle31
M18 recoilless rifle United States57 mm. Recoilless rifle32
Bazooka M-20 United StatesRecoilless rocket antitank weapon136
M72 LAW United StatesAnti-tank rocket launcher80First delivery

Small arms

Name Origin Type Caliber Notes
Pistols
Beretta 92  ItalyPistol9×19mm Parabellum
Browning HP35  BelgiumPistol9×19mm Parabellum
Taurus 9 mm BrazilPistol9×19mm Parabellum
Rifles
T65K2  TaiwanAssault rifle5.56×45mmStandard issue
FN FAL BelgiumAssault rifle7.62×51mm
M4 carbine  United StatesAssault rifle5.56×45mm
Norinco CQ ChinaAssault rifle5.56×45mmLimited use
M16 rifle United StatesAssault rifle5.56×45mmLimited use
HK G3 West GermanyAssault rifle7.62×51mmIn reserve
M24 Sniper Weapon System United StatesSniper rifle7.62×51mm
Barrett M82 United StatesAnti-materiel rifle12.7×99mmVersion M-107A1
Submachine guns and machine guns
MP5  West GermanySubmachine gun9×19mm Parabellum
IMI Uzi  IsraelSubmachine gun9×19mm Parabellum
FN MAG BelgiumMachine gun7.62×51mmuse for EE9-Cascabel, Land Rover Defender 110.
IMI Negev IsraelLight machine gun5.56×45mm
Heckler & Koch HK21 West GermanyMachine gun7.62×51mmVersion HK-21E
Browning M2HB United StatesMachine gun12.7×99mm
M1919 Browning machine gun United StatesMachine gun7.62×51mmVersion A4
ZB vz. 26 Brno CzechoslovakiaMachine gun7.62×51mmUpgraded by IMBEL (Brazil) in the 80s
Grenade launchers
M-79 United StatesGrenade launcher40 mm. grenade
M203 United StatesGrenade launcher40 mm. grenade

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

Notes
  1. IISS (2012), p. 398
  2. Rivas, Santiago (18 April 2018). "Paraguayan Army retires last M4 Shermans from service". Jane's 360. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  3. de Cherisey, Erwan (29 December 2015). "Paraguay keeping M3 Stuart, M4 Sherman tanks in service". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  4. IISS (2012), p. 399
Works cited
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222.
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