The
Peruvian Armed Forces are the military services of
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's
independenceIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
,
sovereigntySovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
and territorial
integrityIntegrity as a concept has to do with perceived consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome. People use integrity as a holistic concept, judging the integrity of systems in terms of those systems' ability to achieve their own goals...
against any threat. As a secondary mission they participate in economic and social development as well as in
civil defenseCivil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to prepare non combatant's for military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
tasks.
The
National Police of PeruThe Peruvian National Police is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merger of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, and the Republican Guard in 1988, it is one of the largest police forces in Latin America...
is often classified as a part of the armed forces, although in fact it has a different organisation and a wholly civil mission, however, its training and activities over more than two decades as an anti-terrorist force has produced markedly
militaryA military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military...
characteristics, appearing as a virtual fourth military service with significant land, sea and air capabilities and approximately 140,000 personnel.
The
Peruvian Armed Forces are the military services of
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's
independenceIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
,
sovereigntySovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
and territorial
integrityIntegrity as a concept has to do with perceived consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome. People use integrity as a holistic concept, judging the integrity of systems in terms of those systems' ability to achieve their own goals...
against any threat. As a secondary mission they participate in economic and social development as well as in
civil defenseCivil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to prepare non combatant's for military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
tasks.
The
National Police of PeruThe Peruvian National Police is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merger of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, and the Republican Guard in 1988, it is one of the largest police forces in Latin America...
is often classified as a part of the armed forces, although in fact it has a different organisation and a wholly civil mission, however, its training and activities over more than two decades as an anti-terrorist force has produced markedly
militaryA military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military...
characteristics, appearing as a virtual fourth military service with significant land, sea and air capabilities and approximately 140,000 personnel. The Peruvian armed forces report through the Ministry of Defense, while the
National Police of PeruThe Peruvian National Police is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merger of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, and the Republican Guard in 1988, it is one of the largest police forces in Latin America...
, through the Ministry of Interior.
Army
Headquartered in
LimaLima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao...
, it has a strength of 175,000 troops divided in four military regions with headquarters in
PiuraPiura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496.It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in South America, San Miguel de Piura, in 1532...
, Lima,
ArequipaArequipa is the capital of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 904,931 it is the second most populous city of the country. Arequipa lies in the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 2,380 meters above sea level; the snow-capped volcano El Misti overlooks the city...
and
IquitosIquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370,962. It is the capital of Loreto Region and Maynas Province. It is generally considered the most populous city in the world that cannot be reached by road....
. Every military region assigned several
brigadeA brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army. Usually, a brigade is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more brigades; however, some brigades are classified as a...
s of which there are different types, including
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
,
cavalryCavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
and
armoredArmoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
. There are also several groups and battalions which operate independently.
The equipment of the Peruvian Army includes several types of
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities...
s (
T-55The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank of the Soviet Army's armored units, as well as of...
and
AMX-13The AMX-13 was a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and featuring a tough and reliable chassis, it was fitted with an unusual and troublesome tilting GIAT...
),
armoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s (M-113, UR-416),
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
(
D30The 122-mm howitzer D-30 is a Soviet howitzer that entered service in the late 1960s, replacing the M-30 122 mm howitzer. The D-30's longer barrel provides greater range than the M-30, while an unusual three-leg stabilising system allows for rapid traversal of the gun through 360 degrees...
,
M101The 105 mm Howitzer M2A1 was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theatres. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation for its...
,
M109The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin...
and M114
howitzerA howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s), antiaircraft systems (ZSU-23-4 Shilka) and helicopters (
Mil Mi-2The Mil Mi-2 is a small, lightly armored transport helicopter that could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon.-Design and development:...
,
Mil Mi-17The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian-designed helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude.-Development:...
).
Navy
Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Perú) is organized in five naval zones headquartered in
PiuraPiura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496.It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in South America, San Miguel de Piura, in 1532...
,
LimaLima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao...
,
ArequipaArequipa is the capital of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 904,931 it is the second most populous city of the country. Arequipa lies in the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 2,380 meters above sea level; the snow-capped volcano El Misti overlooks the city...
,
IquitosIquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370,962. It is the capital of Loreto Region and Maynas Province. It is generally considered the most populous city in the world that cannot be reached by road....
and
PucallpaPucallpa is a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. It is the capital of the Ucayali region, the Coronel Portillo Province and the Calleria District....
. It has a strength of around 125,000 troops divided between the Pacific Operations and the Amazon Operations General Commands and the Coast Guard.
The Pacific fleet
flagshipA flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, a designation given on account of being either the largest, fastest, newest, most heavily armed or, for publicity purposes, the best known. In military terms, it is a ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships...
is the cruiser
BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81)BAP Almirante Grau ' is a De Zeven Provinciën class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. Completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 as HNLMS De Ruyter, it was acquired by Peru in 1973. Since then, it has served as the fleet flagship of the Peruvian Navy...
, named for the XIX-century Peruvian Admiral which fought in the
War of the PacificThe War of the Pacific , occurring from 1879-1884, was a conflict between Chile and the alliance of Bolivia and Peru. Also known as the "Saltpeter War," the war arose from disputes over the control of territory that contained substantial mineral-rich deposits.The conclusion of the conflict...
(1879-1883). The fleet also includes 8
Lupo classThe Lupo class is a class of frigates built by Cantieri Navali Riuniti for the Italian Navy. Designed as multipurpose warships with emphasis on anti-surface warfare , they have enjoyed some success in the export market, being acquired by the navies of Peru and Venezuela...
frigates (two built in Peru), 6
PR-72P classPR-72P class corvettes are French-designed warships in service with the Peruvian Navy. Six units were ordered in 1976 by the Peruvian Navy from the Société Française de Construction Navale . Subsequently, three of them were built by the company's own Villeneuve-de-Garonne shipyard, and the rest...
corvettes, 4 Terrebonne Parish
class landing ships, 2 Type 209/1100
Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s and constantly been modernized by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
and 4 Type 209/1200
Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s and constantly been modernized by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
class German-built diesel submarines (the biggest submarine force in South America), as well as patrol vessels, tankers and cargo ships. Peruvian Navy has also a
naval aviationNaval Aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies. Maritime Aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of land based forces such as RAF Coastal Command or United States Coast Guard....
force, several naval infantry battalions and special forces units.
Air Force
On May 20, 1929, the aviation divisions of the Peruvian army and navy were merged into the Peruvian Aviation Corps (CAP, Cuerpo de Aviación del Peru
). In 1950, the corps was reorganized again and became the Peruvian Air Force (FAP, Fuerza Aérea del Perú).
The Peruvian Air Force is divided into 6 wing areas, headquartered in Piura,
ChiclayoChiclayo, is the capital city of the Lambayeque region in northern Peru. It is located 13 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast and 770 kilometers from the nation's capital, Lima....
, Lima, Arequipa,
RiojaRioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja - red and white wines from the provincePeru*Rioja, Peru*Rioja District*Rioja ProvinceArgentina*La Rioja Province...
and Iquitos. With a strength of 75,000 troops, the FAP counts in its arsenal with
MiG-29The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a 4th generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
(
interceptorAn interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft, particularly bombers, usually relying on great speed...
) and
Mirage 2000The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed as a lightweight fighter based on the Mirage III in the late 1970s for the French Air Force. The Mirage 2000 evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
(
interdictorAn interdictor is a type of attack aircraft that operates far behind enemy lines, with the express intent of interdicting the enemy logistics effort. The term has generally fallen from use...
/ multirole aircraft).
It also has
Su-25The Sukhoi Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975...
close-support aircraft,
Mi-25The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and low-capacity troop transport produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated from 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and over thirty other nations...
attack helicopters,
Mi-17The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian-designed helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude.-Development:...
transport helicopters,
Aermacchi MB-339The Aermacchi MB-339 is an Italian military trainer and light attack aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier MB-326.-Design and development:The MB-339 is of conventional configuration, and shares much of the 326's airframe...
,
Embraer EMB-312 TucanoThe Embraer EMB 312 Tucano is a two seat turboprop basic trainer developed in Brazil. The prototype first flew in 1980 and initial production units were delivered in 1983. The Tucano family of aircraft became one of Embraer's first international marketing successes, with 600 units produced...
subsonic training aircraft, and the Cessna A-37B for light attack and COIN missions.
In 1995, the FAP took part in the
Cenepa WarThe Cenepa War , also known as the Alto Cenepa War, was a brief and localized military conflict between Ecuador and Peru, fought over control of a disputed area on the border between the two countries...
against
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America that...
covering operations by the army and navy. After the war, the FAP began acquiring new material, especially MiG-29 fighters and Su-25 attack fighters which are, along with the Mirage 2000 fighters, the main combat elements of the FAP.
External links
Ministry of Defence Official Army Website Official Air Force Website Official Navy Website