Naval Infantry Command
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The Naval Infantry Command, (Spanish: Comando de la Infantería de Marina or COIM), also known as the Naval Infantry of the Armada of the Argentine Republic (Spanish: Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina or IMARA), is the land warfare amphibious branch of the Argentine Navy. It is one of the four operational commands of the Argentine Navy.
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[edit] History
The Marines trace their origins in Spanish Marine Corps, at the time of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. After the Argentine War of Independence, it was under joint administration administration of the Argentine Army and the Argentine Navy. A 1946 law placed the marines solely under the jurisdiction of the Navy.
[edit] Battles and interventions
Under Spanish dominion:
- Reconquest of the Falklands Islands in 1767.
- Falklands Crisis (1770)
- Defense of the East Coast 1776.
- British invasions of the Río de la Plata 1806 and 1807.
During independence:
- seizure of Martin Garcia Island in 1814.
- Landing in Monterey, California, now part of the United States (1817–1818): Forces commanded by Hipólito Bouchard, 200 men of which 130 were armed with guns and 70 with lances, disembarked to one league from the fort of Monterrey, in a hidden creek from the heights. The resistance of the fort was very weak, and after one hour battle the Argentine flag was raised.
Argentine confederation:
- War of Costa Bravo (1842), against the forces under the control of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
- Argentina-Brazil War. (1820's)
- Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (1845)
- War of the Triple Alliance. (1845)
- Snipe incident
- Dirty War (1976 to 1983)
- Operation Soberania
- Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur) (1982) : Falklands and South Georgia invasions and Battle of Mount Tumbledown, .
- Gulf War. (1990)
- UN Peacekeeper, observers/peace missions in Cyprus, Western Sahara, the Balkans and Haiti.
[edit] Fleet Marine Force (FAIF)
The FMF was formerly called the Brigada de IM No. 1.
- 2nd Marine Corps Battalion
- 1st Amphibious Vehicles Battalion
- Amphibious Engineers Battalion
- Command and Logistical Support Battalion
- 1st Communications Battalion
- 1st Field Artillery Battalion
- Anti-aircraft artillery Battalion
- Amphibious Commandos Group (APCA)
[edit] Southern Marine Force (FAIA)
The SMF was formerly called the Fuerza de IM No. 1.
- 4th Marine Corps Battalion
- 5th Marine Corps Battalion
- Naval Detachment Río Grande
[edit] River Operations Unit
[edit] Marine Security Forces
- Navy General Staff Security Battalion
- Puerto Belgrano Naval Base Security Battalion
[edit] Auxiliary units
The Marine Corps also maintains 15 Security Companies at Naval and Naval Air Bases.
[edit] Current deployments
IMARA has two Infantry Companies deployed in Haiti and Cyprus under the auspices of MINUSTAH and UNFICYP respectively in joint operations with the Argentine Army and Argentine Air Force. A small platoon was also deployed in Kosovo, attached to Argentine Engineers Company, which was in turn attached to the Italian Brigade.
Several Marine Officers and NCO's are routinely deployed as military observers for the UN.
[edit] Weapons and vehicles
- LVTP-7 Amphibious APC (local name VAO Vehiculo Anfibio a Orugas)
- LARC-V Amphibious Truck (local name VAR Vehiculo Anfibio a Ruedas)
- ERC-90F1 6x6 "Lynx" Recon. Vehicle
- Panhard VCR/TT 4x4 APC
- VCR/AA 4x4 AAA
- VCR/AT wheeled armoured recovery vehicle
- American Motors M35A3 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
- Mercedes-Benz MB1720 truck
- M-997/1025 HMMWV
- Bofors 40 mm L 70 radar guided AAA
- RBS-70 man-portable SAM
- M-101 105 mm Howitzer
- M-56 105 mm Pack Howitzer
- M-114A1 155 mm Howitzer
- SOLTAM 81 mm Mortar
- Mk.19 AGL
- Browning 12,7 mm HMG
- FN MAG GPMG
- M-249 LMG
- M16A2 AR
3rd Naval Helicopter Sqn. (Bell UH-1H, now in reserve status) was usually attached to the Fleet Marine Force.
[edit] See also
- Marines
- Armada of the Argentine Republic
- Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War
- Military history of Argentina
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) Argentine Navy Official website
- (Spanish) Argentine Marines official website
- (Spanish) Argentine Marines Unofficial website
- (Spanish) Organization and equipment
- (Spanish) Argentine Marine Corps Association
- (Spanish) Argentine Marine Fallen in Malvinas
- World Navies
- As part of his journey of reconciliation Mike Seers travels to Argentina to interview Marine artillery gunners whom he fought against
- Reassessing the Fighting Performance of the Argentine 5th Marines
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