Belize Defence Force
| Belize Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 1978 |
| Service branches | Air Wing, Ground Forces, Naval Forces |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Elizabeth II, represented by Governor General of Belize Colville Young |
| Minister of Defence and Immigration | Carlos Perdomo |
| Commander of the BDF | Brigadier General Dario Tapia |
| Personnel | |
| Conscription | No |
| Active personnel | 1000 |
| Reserve personnel | 700 |
The Belize Defence Force (BDF) is the military of Belize, and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of Belize. The BDF, National Coast Guard, and the Immigration Department are under the Minister of Defence and Immigration, which is headed by Carlos Perdomo; the BDF itself is commanded by Brigadier General Dario Tapia. In 2005, the Belizean government spent $1.2 million on the military, constituting 1.87% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).[1]
History
The military of Belize dates back to 1817, when the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer organization, was founded; this militia became the Belize Volunteer Guard of the British Territorial Army. The BDF was founded in 1978 following the disbanding of the Belize Volunteer Guard and the Police Special Force the year before.[2]
After Belize achieved independence in 1981 the United Kingdom maintained a deterrent force in the country to protect it from invasion by Guatemala (see Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory). The main British force left in 1994, three years after Guatemala recognised Belizean independence, but the United Kingdom maintained a training presence via the British Army Training and Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) and 25 Flight Army Air Corps until 2011 when the last British Forces left Ladyville Barracks, with the exception of seconded advisers.[2] The BDF Maritime Wing became part of the Belizean Coastguard in November 2005.[3]
Organization
The BDF consists of:
- Ground Forces
- Headquarters company.
- First Infantry Battalion (with 3 rifle companies).
- Second Infantry Battalion (with 3 rifle companies).
- The 3rd Res.Infantry Battalion (with HQ company,3 rifle companies &2 detachment platoons).
- Support group (with Administrative company, Mortar platoon,Signal platoon,Reece.platoon and Combat engineer platoon).
- Cadet corps.
- Band.
- Air Wing
- Troop Transport
- Freight Transport
- Search and Rescue (Casualty/Medical Evacuation)
- Reconnaissance
- Exclusive Economic Zone Patrol
- Parachute Resupply
- Light Ground Attack
- Showing of the Belizean Flag
- Air Wing Cadet Corps
- Volunteer Guard
- Volunteer Battalion
The Belize National Police is a quasi-military unit in Belize with strength of 1200 sworn officers and 700 civilian staff (2008).[4] It was formerly under the Minister of National Security (along with the BDF and National Forensic Science Service). The Belize National Police and National Forensic Science Service now report to the Minister of Police and Public Safety.
Equipment
Arms
Vehicles
| Make/Model | Type | Origin | Quantity |
| Alvis- Fox armoured reconnaissance vehicle Daimler FV721 Fox 30mm L-21 Rarden gun 4x4 ARVs | Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled)/Armoured car |  United Kingdom
|
15 |
| Armscor-Eland Mk7 90mm 4x4 ARVs | Armoured car |  South Africa  France
|
10 |
| Land Rover Defender 4x4 | off road utility vehicle | United Kingdom
|
N/A |
| Bedford 4 ton trucks | Medium Military vehicle | United Kingdom
|
30+ |
| 2 x Ford F-450 trucks | pickup truck |  United States [5]
|
2 |
Aircraft
| Make/Model | Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
| Britten-Norman Defender | Uility military transport aircraft | United Kingdom
|
3 (1 BN-2A&2 BN-2B) | 1 lost 1998 (BDF-05) and replaced |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | Utility | United States
|
1 | |
| Cessna 182J | trainer | United States
|
1 | BDF-03 |
| Bell 205\UH-1H | helicopter | United States
|
1 | out of service? Sold to Peru |
| Ayres-2R Turbo Thrush | United States
|
3 | out of service | |
| Cessna 337 Super Skymaster O-2A | Utility | United States
|
1 | |
| Slingsby T67M-260 | basic training aircraft | United Kingdom
|
1 | |
| Dornier Do 27A | crop sprayer |  Germany
|
1 | for combating drug cultivation |
Facilities
- Mountain Pine Ridge Training Area - south of Belmopan used for jungle warfare by Belize, US and British forces
- Price Barracks - Ladyville - Air Wing HQ and former British helicopter base; it is named for the country's first Prime Minister George Cadle Price
- Fairweather Camp - Punta Gorda Town - HQ for 2nd Bat and former British military base
- Orange Walk Airport (Army) - Orange Walk District
- Belizario Camp - San Ignacio - border area base
- Corozal Training Centre - Corozal Town
- Dangriga Training Centre - Dangriga
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport - main airbase
- Hector Silva Airstrip - small base located south of the airstrip; this is a secondary airstrip and was used by the British Army
- Punta Gorda Airport is a secondary airstrip
- St Georges Caye Island (Army)
- Holdfast Camp (Army)
- Baldy Beacons (Army)
- Rideau Camp (Army)
- Salamanca Camp (Army)
Naval
The BDF Maritime Wing was responsible for protections of waters around and off Belize.
- 13 Boats (including 6 Brooke Marine 60 ft. Wasp-class PCs
United Kingdom, 20m patrol craft).
- 43 foot Nor-tech Interceptor Fast Patrol Boats - 2 x donated by the United States in 2009
United States [6]
- 43 foot Nor-tech Interceptor Fast Patrol Boats - 2 x donated by the United States in 2009
The maritime wing has been transferred over to the Belize Coast Guard Service.
Strength
Personnel: approximately 1000 (2012) and 700 reservists
- Air Wing: 15
Gallery
References
- ^ "Belize", CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bh.html
- ^ a b Dion E. Phillips , "The Military of Belize" http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/belize/conference/papers/phillips.html, 2002
- ^ "Channel 5 Belize", http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=15230 December 13, 2007.
- ^ http://www.police.gov.bz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155&Itemid=147
- ^ http://belize.usembassy.gov/pr_09_08b_09_page2.html
- ^ http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14980
External links
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.