Military of Ecuador
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| Ecuadorian Armed Forces Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador |
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|---|---|
 Ministry of Defence Logo |
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| Founded | 1830 |
| Current form | 2000 |
| Service branches | The Joint Armed Forces Command Ecuadorian Army Ecuadorian Navy Ecuadorian Air Force |
| Headquarters | Quito |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Rafael Correa |
| Minister of Defense | Javier Ponce Cevallos |
| Chief of staff | General Fabián Varela |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 20 |
| Conscription | 12 months |
| Available for military service |
7,095,790 (2008 est.) [1], age 16–49 |
| Fit for military service |
6,068,556 (2008 est.) [2], age 16–49 |
| Active personnel | 59.500. |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $1,691,776,803 USD (FY08) [3] List of countries by military expenditures ranked 54th |
| Percent of GDP | 3.41% (FY08) [4] List of countries by military expenditures ranked 37th |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  United States France Germany United Kingdom Israel Brazil Russia India Chile China |
Contents |
[edit] Ecuadorian Armed Forces
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador) are part of the public forces and responsible for the preservation of the integrity and national sovereignty of the national territory. It involves participation in the social and economic development of the country and the provision of assistance in the maintenance of internal order. Some major tasks include; fighting organised crime, anti-narcotic operations, illegal immigration [5] and FARC insurgency from Colombia [6]. Social development programmes apply the provision of teachers for rural schools through an accord with the Ministry of Education. Environmental protection is also a priority, several programmes were implemented: "National Forestation and Ornamentation", "Lonely Tree", "Green Surveillance", "Fire Plan", "Ecuador Forest" and "Arenillas Military Reserve". The Armed Forces are an essential part of the countries infrastructure and regarded as one of the most respected institutions in Ecuador. Most of its equipment is of western origins, however, in recent times Ecuador shifted towards new suppliers such as; Brazil, Russia, India, China. A high military presence is maintained along its troubled border with Colombia [7] and Peru, overseas territories include the Galapagos Islands and the "Pedro Vicente Maldonado" Naval Biological Research Station in the Antarctic. Relations with its neighbour Peru have improved since the signing of a Peace Treaty in 1998, however, relations with Colombia have been strained due to a number of cross border raids by Colombian forces on FARC guerrillas [8]. The diplomatic crisis which followed in 2008 [9] continues to affect Ecuadors national defence policy. In 2009 the new administration at the Defence Ministry launched a deep restructurisation within the forces, the spending budget was risen to $920 million, an increase of 25% [10].
[edit] Military History
Ecuadors military history dates back to its first attempt to secure freedom from Spain in 1811. The rebel forces of the newly declared independent state of Quito attempted to extend their control to other parts of the territory but proved little match against the royalist army dispatched by the Viceroy of Peru. In December 1812, during the Battle of Ibarra, Spanish forces easily reasserted control over the contested areas. A new independence movement began in 1820, Ecuadorian forces assembled in Guayaquil, forming contingents with revolutionary soldiers from Colombia commanded by Antonio José de Sucre, a close collaborator of the Venezuelan liberator, Simón Bolívar Palacios . In 1822 after a successful invasion in the Andean highlands, the rebels scored a decisive victory over the royalist army at the Battle of Pichincha. In 1828, as a member of the Confederation of Gran Colombia, Ecuador fought along with Colombia and Venezuela against Peru to block the latter's attempt at annexation. Confederation forces, fewer than half of which were Ecuadorians, gloriously defeated the much larger Peruvian invasion force near Cuenca, at the Battle of Tarqui on 26 February and 27 February 1829.
At the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, most of Ecuadors senior army officers and many of its troops were Venezuelans, as was the countries first president, Juan José Flores. The army of 2,000 men consisted of three infantry battalions and one cavalry regiment. Even as late as 1845, when Juan José Flores was forced from his second term of office, only four of fifteen general officers were Ecuadorian. Non-Ecuadorians comprised most of the officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the elite cavalry units as well. Upon taking office as president in 1851, General José María Urbina freed the black slaves and recruited many of them into the military; Gen. Azarye was the first African-Ecuadorian senior General.
In the 1860's, successive governments attempted to professionalize the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Gabriel García Moreno, who dominated the political scene from 1860 until 1875, reduced the army in size and depoliticized it. Further improvements occurred during the relatively prosperous period of the 1880s and 1890s under the military dictator Gen. Ignacio de Veintemilla, and successor civilian governments. French officers arrived to provide training on a newly acquired arsenal of weapons. By 1900 the army was able to repel an attack from Colombia which was organised by Ecuadorian political opponents of the government in power.
In 1905 the government established military education and training institutions and divided the country into four defense zones. Immediately preceding World War I, the army had nine Infantry battalions, three Cavalry regiments, three Artillery regiments, and three Engineering battalions. It was in the years of 1913 to 1916 that all the work done since the beginning of the century was tested. Following the assassination of Gen. Eloy Alfaro, Crnl. Carlos Concha, a famed and revered field commander started a revolution in the northern province of Esmeraldas. The Civil War had started and the army was slowly destroyed by the insurgency forces. By the year of 1914 Gen. Leonidas Plaza who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and acting President had to take personal control of operations and it would take another two years to end the conflict. In these times both, the army and Navy started the development of joined tasks such as amphibious landing operations, earning lots of experience in this field. By the mid-1920s, it had expanded to fifteen Infantry battalions. Later, under the influence of an Italian military mission, the Infantry was reduced to ten battalions, although each battalion now consisted of four rather than the previous two or three rifle companies. In 1930 the army had a total strength of about 5,500 men of all ranks.
Continual political unrest made the forces become more deliberant regarding constitutional issues. Rebellions, uprisings and lack of loyalty of both senior Generals and medium ranking officers made the Ecuadorian forces weak and disorganized. A major conflict, called Ecuadorian–Peruvian War of 1941 started on January 11, 1941 after the Ecuadorians had been staging incursions and even occupations of the territory of Zarumilla, in the north of Peru, therefore; the Peruvian Army starts a conterattack, and in seven weeks, occupied the western Ecuadorian province of El Oro and parts of the Andean province of Loja and advanced into the Amazonian area occupied by Ecuador according to a status quo agreement signed in 1936. Finally, the government of Ecuador signed the Rio Protocol on January 29, 1942, and Peruvian forces subsequently withdrew. Nonetheless, during the retreat several attacks were made against the Peruvian military, and a series of lives were lost during the process.
Ecuador declared war on Japan late during World War II and began to receive military aid from the United States in 1942. This aid consisted at first of light weapons, mortars, light tanks, and armored scout cars. Under a military assistance agreement with the United States in 1952, the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, which now totaled approximately 15,000 troops, received additional equipment, including howitzers, tanks, and armoured personnel carriers. Revenue coming from the oil discovered in the late 1960s financed the purchase of considerable additional ground forces weaponry as well as fighters for the small Air Force.
Occasional clashes with Peru occurred in the border area established in the 1942 settlement of the Rio Protocol. These clashes flared into an outbreak of serious fighting in January 1981 called the Paquisha War, for the control of three watchposts that the Ecuadorian Army was setting up in the Comaina valley, to the east of the Condor mountain range, inside a disputed border area. The clash ended with a ceasefire, with the three bases destroyed and the Peruvian Army in control of most of the area. The Peruvians made effective use of helicopters, air strikes, and commando teams specially trained for jungle operations. The Ecuadorians were driven back to the summit of the Cordillera del Cóndor. In 1983 and again in 1984, shooting incidents occurred when patrols of both countries met yet again on disputed land.
The final major military operation was the Cenepa War in which Ecuadorian troops were unable to keep an outposts in disputed territory after several attacks from the Peruvian troops, the Ecuadorian Air Force was also unable to stop the air attacks of the Peruvian Air Force, but managed to shotdown several aircraft. Finally, the Ecuadorian government had to abort its intentions and sign a Peace Treaty which was based upon the previous Rio Protocol on the 26th October 1998. As a result Ecuador had to renounce the territories of Tumbes, Jaen and Maynas to the Peruvians as well as re-draw their official maps.
[edit] Military Command Structure
- The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (Comandante en Jefe de las Fuerzas Armadas) is the President of the Republic. He exercises the political leadership of security and national defence and counts on the advice of the National Security Council.
- The National Security Council (El Consejo de Seguridad Nacional) or N.S.C. is the superior body responsible for the national defence, in charge of issuing the strategic concept of national security, which in turn constitutes the essential instrument to start the planning and decision-making process. It is chaired by the President of the Republic, which is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It includes the Presidents of the National Congress and the Supreme Court of Justice; the ministers in charge of National Defence, Government and Police, Foreign Affairs, and Economy and Finance; the Chief of the Joint Command, and the Chiefs of the three branches of the Armed Forces. It monitors the fulfillment of the defence policies and the strategic plans elaborated by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, submitted by the Ministry of National Defence. The N.S.C. constitutes the highest ranking monitoring and crisis management body.
- The Ministry of Defense (Ministerio de la Defensa National), is the administrative body of the national defence. The Coordinating Minister of Internal and External Security accords the policies and actions that will be adopted by the following institutions as regards internal and external security: the Ministry of Government and Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Secretariat General for the Public administration.
- The Joint Armed Forces Command (El Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas), is the highest planning, preparation and strategic body of military operations. It advises on national defence and is conformed by the The Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and the Commanders of all three branches of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces: The Army, Navy and the Air Force.
[edit] Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army (Ejército Ecuatoriano) is well equipped with reasonably homogeneous material. Its 24,135 [11] soldiers are sensibly deployed in relation to the threat from its neighbours. Ecuador cannot match the material resources of Colombia or Peru, but its military forces have performed well in previous conflicts since 1941. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army is qualitatively one of the best in the region, thanks to its jungle and special forces infantry units, only its capability to fight large armoured units in the coastal region is suspect, given that its armoured arsenal includes only light AMX 13 tanks and Armoured personnel carriers (APC)s. The Army tried to rectify this with large and efficient anti-tank forces which include HOT-equipped helicopters as well as a recent order of 30 Leopard 1 V Main Battle Tanks from Chile [12][13]. In 2009 new doctrines regarding: border control, anti-narcotic, anti-smuggler and anti-illegal immigration [14] were introduced, altogether with a 5th Military Defence Zone in the North.
The Ecuadorian territory is currently divided into four "Military Defence Zones", each zone represents an Army Division. Divisions are units with appropriate support to allow independent operations, therefore each "Military Defence Zone" consists of; Artillery, Army Aviation, Engineers and Logistic Support including; Signals, Medical and Military Police units. The Brigades itself, are not numbered consecutively and carry odd numbers in the series of 1 to 27.
- 1st Defence Zone Sierra/North (HQ Quito), is the 1st SHYRIS Army Division consisting of: The 11th Armoured Cavalry, 13th Infantry Brigade, 9th Special forces (see below), 23rd Engineer and 25th Logistic Support Brigade as well as two Reserve Infantry Brigades.
- 2nd Defence Zone Coast/West (HQ Guayaquil), is the 2nd LIBERTAD Army Division consisting of: The 5th Infantry Brigade, an artillery group, a logistic support battalion as well as two Reserve Infantry Brigades which would only come into existence on full mobilization.
- 3rd Defence Zone Sierra/South (HQ Cuenca, is the 3rd TARQUI Army Division is the most important with three Infantry Brigades (1st, 3rd and 7th) and the 27th Artillery Brigade and again two Reserve Infantry Brigades.
- 4th Defence Zone Amazon/East (HQ Shell Mera, Puyo), is the 4th AMAZONAS Army Division groups together all three Jungle Brigades (17th, 19th and 21st).
Within its Military organization the army operates several detachments worth to be mentioned:
- The 9th Special Forces Brigade PATRIA, consists of paratroopers, many specialized as Commandos, Operational Free Jumpers, Mountain Warfare, Frogmen, Snipers and Dog guides. It is constituted into four Special Forces groups (Grupos Fuerzas Especiales): GFE 24, GFE 25, GFE 26, GFE 27 and one school unit (Grupo Escuela Comandos), the GEK 9.
- The GEO (Grupo Especial de Operaciones) is the Counter-terror unit of the army , trained by the US Navy Seals and the British SAS it maintians the highest standards and remains under operational alert 24/7.
- The Paramilitary units recruited from local tribes. The Shuar, Iwia and Arutuams are modern equipped warriors and experts in Jungle warfare. Their abilities were demonstrated during the Cenepa War with Peru. Currently some of these units are deployed to the northern border area with Colombia, in order to prevent any incursions and to fight FARC presence on Ecuadorian soil.
- The Army Aviation was formed in 1954, it played a key role during the Paquisha conflict and later the Cenepa War. In 1978 it was re-structured into an Army Aviation Brigade (Brigada de Aviación del Ejército No.15 Paquisha). At present the BAE has its own training facilities for pilots and disposes of 10 "flying groups" (or units). Its large complement of predominantly French helicopter types include around: twenty Gazelle, four AS332B Super Puma, three Lama, two AS350 Ecureuil and some Cougars. In recent years the BAE acquired also five Russian Mi-171 helicopters and considers to order another three Mi 17 in the course of 2009 [15]. The fixed wing fleet consists of: seven Aravas, five Turbo Porter, three MT-7-235 Super Rocket, two T-41D Mescalero, two CASA 235, two CASA C-212-400, one Beechcraft King Air 100, one Cessna Citation, one Buffalo [16].
[edit] Ecuadorian Air Force
The Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana), was officially created on the 27 October 1920. However, like in many other countries, military flying activity started before the formal date of birth of the Air Force. The history of Ecuador is marked by many skirmishes with its neighbour Peru. As a direct result of the 1910 Ecuador-Peru crisis, members of Club de Tiro Guayaquil decided to expand their sporting activities into aviation as well. Renamed Club de Tiro y Aviación they started an aviation school. Cosme Renella, an Italian mechanic and practical pilot, was asked to fly the first aircraft that arrived in November 1912. Surviving a crash during this demonstration flight, Renella was given the rank of a "Capitán". He went later on to fight in Europe during the I World War. Renella became a true ace with as many as 17 combat victories and several distinctions. His efforts within the founding phase of Ecuadorian military aviation are still honoured today by naming the Superior School of Military Aviation (Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación) after him.
Aviation did not start in earnest until the early forties when an Ecuadorian mission to the United States resulted in the delivery of an assortment of aircrafts for the Aviation school at Salinas. Three PT-22 Recruit, six Curtiss-Wright CW-22, six Fairchild PT-19 and three North American AT-6A Harvard arrived in March 1942, considerably boosting the capacity of the Aviation School in Salinas, (Escuela de Aviación Salinas).
The fifties and sixties saw a further build up of the Air Force, gaining more units and aircrafts. Meanwhile efforts were made in enhancing the facilities at various airbases. In May 1961 the First Air Zone (I Zona Aérea) with its subordinate unit Ala de Transportes No.11 was founded. The Second Air Zone (II Zona Aérea) controlled the units in the southern halve of Ecuador: Ala de Combate No.21 at Taura, Ala de Rescate No.22 at Guayaquil and Ala de Combate No.23 at Manta as well as the Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación at Salinas. The FAE has a personnel of 6,055 [17] and includes their own Air Force Infantry (Infanteria Area) responsible for a variety of tasks; training of Air Force ground personnel, protection of VIPs and Air Force Bases as well as conduct of combat rescue operations. A Commando unit operates within its structure.
The Air force has a mixture of types on its inventory, mostly from Western origin. The prime fighters are twelve Mirage F.1 [18] and nine Kfir C2, TC2, C7, C10, CE, [19] all based at Taura with Ala 21, (Jaguar Mk.1 were withdrawn from service). For light attack missions, six Strikemaster Mk.89, 90, twelve A-37B are in use at Manta with Ala 23. These aircrafts do often operate from airfields within the Amazon rainforest.
The transport wing uses fiveCE 150L, four HS 748, three DHC-6, two types of the C-130 Hercules and two IAI 201. The rotary wing consists of; twenty three UH-1 Iroquois, seven newly acquired Hal Dhruv, four Fennecs and two Alouette helicopters. Ala 11 has its own 'commercial' branch, like in many other South American countries, the Transporte Aérea Militar Ecuatoriana TAME. Besides the military transport aircraft, they also use one Boeing 727 and Fokker F28 aircraft. Flying to locations off the beaten track, mostly lacking service by a commercial airline, TAME provides an additional service to the people of Ecuador. Presidential transport is the tasking of Ala 11; two Sabreliners and one Embraer Legacy 600. Pilot training is carried out on T-34 Mentor fixed wing trainers and on TH 57 Searanger helicopters [20].
The FAE saw action on several occasions. A history of border disputes with Peru saw escalation in 1981 and 1995. During the last conflict (Cenepa War), the FAE managed to down nine Peruvian aircrafts, among which were one A-37B , two Su-22 and several Mi-8. Besides the conflicts with Peru, believed being subdued by the 26 October 1998 Brasilia peace treaty, the FAE faces the war on drugs, guerilla insurgency as well as humanitarian missions into the amazon region of the country. Supporting such a relatively large airforce of different types must be a burden. Nevertheless, due to the perils of the past and present, the FAE is to maintain a high profile.
In 2008 the frequent border conflicts with Colombia escalated into a crisis[21]. Ecuador responded with ordering twenty four Brazilian Super Tucano light combat aircrafts [22][23], seven HAL Dhruv helicoperts from India [24] [25] and acquired six modern Chinese JY 11 low altitude radars [26] to reinforce its borders.
[edit] Ecuadorian Navy
The roots of the Ecuadorian Navy date back to 1823 whilst forming a part of the Gran Colombian fleet. In 1832 the by then, Ecuadorian congress established officially the "The Ecuadorian Maritime Department". Today, the Ecuadorian Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana) is a compact, efficient and well-balanced force. However, limited funds hinder any mayor acquisitions and the chances of maintaining a strong force within the Pacific Ocean. The Navy divides the country into three naval districts: Naval District 1 approximates to the Pacific Coast and Galápagos Islands; Naval District 2 approximates to the centre of the country and consists principally of headquarters and administrative units at Quito; and Naval District 3 corresponds to the river systems of the Amazon region. Most sea-going assets are based at Guayaquil. The Navy has a personnel of 7,258 [27] men and protects a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into the Pacific Ocean, including the Galapagos Islands. The Navy consists of the following vessels:
1 School ship The Guayas
2 Condell class frigate (armed with Exocet MM40/MM38 SSM, Mark 46 torpedos, AA guns, helicopter deck) [28]
2 Type 209 submarines (upgraded in 2009) [29]
6 Esmeraldas FSG Corvettes (2 x 3 MM40 Exocet SSM, Mark 46 torpedos, 1 x 4 Aspide SAM, 1 x 76 mm gun, 6 x 324 mm ASTI, helicopter deck [30][31])
3 Lürssen Fast Missile Attack vessels from type Seawolf TNC 45 (armed with Exocet MM38 SSM and AA guns)
4 very light armed, support and re-supply vessels
[edit] Naval Aviation
The Ecuadorian Naval Aviation (Aviacióin Naval Ecuatoriana) remains the least effective section of the navy, capable of performing limited maritime patrol missions it consists of fixed wing and a rotary wing element. It includes 12 fixed wing aircraft [32]: four T-35 Pillán, two CASA CN-235, one Beechcraft Super King Air 200, one Beechcraft Super King Air 300, two Beechcraft Super King Air 200 Catpass surveillance aircraft, and two Beechcraft T-34 Mentor trainers. The rotary element consists of eight helicopters [33]: six Bell 206, two Bell 230. It is unclear if the aircraft are operated by escuadrillas or simply divided into an Ala Fija - "fixed wing" and Ala Rotatoria "rotary wing". All aircraft are based at Base Aérea Simón Bolívar in Guayaquil. However, the quantity of missions in support of the other naval units and the coast guard, sees their aircraft deployed to various locations. The most recent acquisition of the ANE are 2 Heron 1[34] and 4 Searcher MK II[35] unmanned aerial vehicles [36][37](UAV) from Israel. These are going to increase the coastal surveillance significantly.
[edit] Coast Guard
The Coast Guard (Cuerpo de Guardacostas de la Armada) became fully operationnal in 1980. Their mission is to control maritime activities on national territory, including all river zones. The objective is the internal security, protection of human life at sea and environmental protection. It disposes of around 250 men and 30 mayor as well as forty smaller, partially very modern patrol vessels [38].
[edit] Marines
The Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) maintains a strength of around 1700 [39] well trained Marines, headquartered in Guayaquil. The are equipped with personal and infantry support weapons, including 60 mm and 81 mm mortars, 106 mm recoilless rifles (RCLs) and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. However, it lacks heavy weapons and their amphibious assault and sealift capacity is insufficient. It was formed on 12 November 1962 and is organised into two security battalions, one is based in the Amazon River area (east), the other on the coast (west). There is also a Commando battalion based on the Galápagos Islands. The Ecuadorian Marines are to maintain a high level of alert in order to execute special operations in difficult territory as well as to provide a fast response against amphibious incursions.
[edit] Local Engagements
- Ecuadorian War of Independence in 1820
- Battle of Pichincha in 1822
- Gran Colombia–Peru War in 1829
- Ecuadorian-Peruvian war of 1858
- Ecuadorian-Colombian War in 1863
- Chincha Islands War in 1864
- Ecuadorian-Peruvian War in 1941
- Paquisha War in 1981
- Cenepa War, in 1995
[edit] UN Peacekeeping Operations
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces provide Military Observers and troops to the United Nations since 1948. In November 2003, an Ecuadorian United Nations Training Centre was established under the name of: (La Unidad Escuela de Misiones de Paz “Ecuador”). As of 2009, Ecuador is deploying over 90 peacekeepers around the globe.
- 1948
UNIMOGIP United Nations Military Observer Group in Pakistan. - 1948 UNIMOGIP United Nations Military Observer Group in India.
- 1958
UNOGIL Peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. - 1961
ONUC Peacekeeping Force in Congo. - 1965
DOMREP Mission of the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Dominican Republic. - 1990
ONUCA United Nations Observer Group in Central America, Nicaragua. - 1991
ONUSAL United Nations Observer Group in El Salvador. - 1994
MINUGUA United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala. - 2003
UNMIL United Nations Observer Group in Liberia. - 2004
UNOCI Peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire. - 2004
MINUSTAH, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. - 2005
UNMIS United Nations Mission in Sudan. - 2007
UNMIN United Nations Mission in Nepal. - 2008
MINURCAT United Nations Mission in Chad. - 2008
MINURCAT Part of a Peacebuilding Commission in the Central African Republic.
[edit] Trivia
- The Manta Air Base is currently used by the United States Air Force (USAF) division of the United States Southern Command for operations against illegal drug trafficking in northwestern South America. In 1999, the U.S. signed a ten-year agreement with then Ecuadorean President Jamil Mahuad to station up 475 military personnel at Manta, rent-free. USAF AWACS E-3 and United States Navy P-3 Orion aircraft, supported by about 300 US military personnel, operates from that base to monitor air traffic in the area. The new President Rafael Correa has officially announced that he will not renew the agreement which expires in November 2009.
- Due to the territorial disputes between Ecuador and Peru, thousands of landmines, both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle, have been laid in Ecuador. According to the Organization of American States (OAS), Ecuador admitted to laying landmines along the border between 1995 and 1998, implicating the country of utilizing anti-personnel mines after signing the Mine Ban Treaty in 1997, but before its entry into force in 1999. The two countries resolved their territorial disputes in 1998. In 2001, both Ecuador and Peru became members of the OAS Mine Action Program and both have been working to destroy remaining landmine stockpiles and removing existing landmines. Landmine casualty data from Ecuador is not entirely accurate; however, according to the U.S. State Department, there were approximately 120 landmine casualties reported in Ecuador between 1995 and 1999. The majority of casualties were suffered by civilians. In 2001, seven landmine casualties and seven accidents were reported. There have been no deminers killed by landmines since humanitarian demining began. In January 2002, Ecuador had reported that it had completed destruction of its mine stockpile of 260,302 anti-personnel landmines. Estimates of destroyed landmines contradict later reports, leaving nearly 1,500 landmines unaccounted for [40].
- The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA) Agencia Espacial Civil Ecuatoriana, is the organization in charge of administering and executing the Ecuadorian civilian space program and conducting scientific research on space and planetary sciences. It is a mixed capital non-profit organization, 50% civilian and 50% Ecuadorian government through the Ecuadorian Air Force. It was established on November 1, 2007 and includes the first Ecuadorian trained astronaut, Ronnie Nader, among its staff members. EXA had its first achievement with Project DAEDALUS, on May 6, 2008, during the EXA/FAE-02 mission when they successfully tested a modified Sabreliner T-39 of the Ecuadorian Air Force flown by FAE pilots and adapted with a device created by EXA to generate microgravity by sustaining cybernetically assisted parabolic flight, becoming the first country in Latin America in developing this kind of technology by their own means.
[edit] See also
- History of the Ecuadorian–Peruvian territorial dispute
- Military Governments of Ecuador (1960-1979)
- 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis
- Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
- Military of Colombia
- Military of Peru
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) http://www.midena.gov.ec/ Official site of the Ministry of Defence
- (Spanish) http://www.cosena.gov.ec/home/index.php Official site of the National Security Council
- (Spanish) http://www.ejercitodelecuador.mil.ec/ Official site of the Ecuadorian Army
- (Spanish) http://www.fuerzaaereaecuatoriana.org/ Official site of the Ecuadorin Air Force
- (Spanish) http://www.escuela-infanteria-aerea.com/ Official Ecuadorian Air Force Infantry site
- (Spanish) http://www.armada.mil.ec/ Official site of the Ecuadorian Navy
- (Spanish) http://www.dirnea.org/ Official Ecuadorian Coast Guard site
- (Spanish) http://www.esdeim.armada.mil.ec/ Official site of the Ecuadorian Marines
- (Spanish) http://www.esmil.mil.ec/ Superior Military School ELOY ALFARO
- (Spanish) http://www.esmafae.com.ar/ Official site of ESMA: Superior School of Military Aviation COSME RENNELLA B
- (Spanish) http://www.essuna.org/ Superior Naval School COMMADANTE RAFEl MORAN VALVERDE
- (Spanish) http://www.uempe.mil.ec/ United Nations Training Centre "Ecuador"
[edit] References
- (English) [41] CIA factbook about Ecuadors Armed Forces.
- (English) [42] Ecuadorian Armed Forces Almanac from 2004, out-of-date.
- (English) [43] Study on the most recent Colombo-Ecuadorian border conflict.
- (English) [44] Ecuador, Landmine Monitor Report 2008.
- (English) [45] A Comparative Atlas of Defence in Latin America, 2008 Edition on Ecuador.
- (English) [46] 2008 up-to-date Orbat about Ecuadors aicrafts within the FAE, AEE and ANE
- (English) [47] Ecuadors Military Special Forces information, partially out-of-date.
- (English) [48] Ecuador orders 30 Leopard 1 V Tanks from Chile.
- (English) [49] Ecuadors orders 30 Leopard 1 V Tanks from Chile.
- (English) [50] Ecuador upgrades its submarines in Chile.
- (English) [51] Ecuador acquires 7 Hal Dhruv helicopters.
- (English) [52] Ecuador acquires 7 Hal Dhruv helicopters.
- (English) [53] Ecuador orders of 24 Super Tucano Light Combat aircraft.
- (English) [54] Ecuador orders 24 Super Tucano Light Combat aircraft.
- (English) [55] Ecuador orders 6 Israeli UAV's.
- (English) [56] Ecuadors intention of buying Israeli UAV's and upgrading some of its Kfir fighters to C10 standard.
- (English) [57] Ecuador acquires Chinese Radar System for the northern border with Colombia.
- (English) [58] Ecuadors Military Budget going up by 25% in 2008.
- (English) [59] New Speed Patrol Boats for the Ecuadorian Coast Guards.
- (English) [60] Ecuadors new command structure as well as current relationships with its neighbor Colombia.
- (English) [61] Colombian insurgency in Ecuador.
- (English) [62] Report of the Cenepa Conflict.
- (English) [63] The Army Aviation Wing.
- (English) [64] Aviation spotters about the: FAE, AEE and ANE.
- (English) [65] South Americas most troubled border.
- (English) [66] Janes Ecuadorian Navy Report.
- (Spanish) [67] Argentinian strategy page with up-to-date news about the Ecuadorain Armed Forces.
- (Spanish) [68] Ecuador upgrades its naval calpabilities by 2 used frigates and new patrol vessels.
- (Spanish) [69] Ecuador upgrades its naval calpabilities by 2 used frigates and new patrol vessels.
- (Spanish) [70] Ecuador upgrades on their military hardware.
- (Spanish) [71] Restructurisation of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces in 2009.
[edit] Media
- (English) [72] YOU TUBE, Ecuadors fight against the Colombian FARC guerilla insurgency.
- (Spanish) [73] YOU TUBE, The 9th Special Forces Brigade, Brigada de Fuerzas Especiales No. 9 "Patria".
- (Spanish) [74] YOU TUBE, The Ecuadorian Armed Forces.
- (Spanish) [75] YOU TUBE, The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defence.
- (Spanish) [76] YOU TUBE, Promotional Ecuadorian Army Clip.
- (Spanish) [77] YOU TUBE, Ecuadorian Army fighting crime in the border areas.
- (Spanish) [78] YOU TUBE, Ecuadorian Armed Forces compilation.
- (Spanish) [79] YOU TUBE, Ecuadorian Army Clip.
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