Land branch of the Armed Forces of El Salvador
Military unit
The
Salvadoran Army
(
Spanish
:
Ejercito Salvadoreno
) is the land branch and largest of the
Armed Forces of El Salvador
.
History
[
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]
The Football War (also called The Soccer War or 100-hours War) was a term coined by Polish reporter Ryszard Kapu?ci?ski to describe a brief conflict between El Salvador and neighbouring
Honduras
. He argued that the war began after the rival nations traded wins during the qualifying round for the
1970 FIFA World Cup
. But this event was not the cause of the war. Tensions had been mounting between both nations for several years because of immigration and economic problems, resulting on the war in 1969. The soccer matches incidents just one of several events that happened during that time. Longstanding tensions between the countries were heightened by media reports on both sides, each accusing the other of
hooliganism
and violence toward their own football fans. On June 26, 1969, El Salvador dissolved all ties with Honduras, the events were used as a call for nationalist pride for both governments and the media.
On July 14 Salvadoran forces began moving rapidly into Honduras following a series of border clashes. Their progress halted after the
Organization of American States
(OAS) and the
United States
brought heavy diplomatic pressure to bear on both governments in an effort to effect a cease-fire.
A ceasefire was ultimately negotiated and signed by July 18, with Salvadoran forces withdrawing from Honduras by August 2 following guarantees of safety for Salvadoran citizens in Honduras by the Honduran government.
The Salvadoran Civil War
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]
By the late 1970s, longstanding socio-economic inequality, human rights violations and the unwillingness of the
National Conciliation Party
dictatorship to address these problems led to the growth of a social movement. The government responded by assassinating thousands of political opponents and massacring students and protestors on several occasions. The heavy handed response of the government signaled to those identifying with the social movement that peaceful solutions were futile, which led to the growth of an insurgency.
On October 15, 1979, the military government
was deposed
by a joint military-civilian government calling itself the
Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador
(JRG). The JRG's policies were met with opposition from the military and economic elites and government repression increased, with tens of thousands of civilians being killed in 1980 and 1981 alone. This led to the formation of the
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
(FMLN), which brought on a twelve-year civil war.
The Iraq War
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]
An unidentified Salvadoran special forces Soldier keeps a close eye on the borders of Camp Charlie in Al Hillah, Iraq, April 14, 2005. The Cuscatlan Battalion IV Soldier is helping support Operation Iraqi Freedom, which is being conducted mainly by Coalition Forces in Hillah.
Up to 380 Salvadoran troops, mostly paratroopers, were deployed as part of the
Coalition Forces
in Iraq between August 2003 and January 2009. They operated alongside the elite
Spanish Legion
in
Najaf
. While in Iraq, the Salvadoran contingent suffered 5 dead, and more than 50 wounded.
[2]
[3]
In 2006 the government of
El Salvador
approached the Israeli ambassador to El Salvador seeking assistance in modernising its army.
[4]
Organizational structure
[
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]
Barracks of the 4th Brigade.
Salvadoran Special Forces
El Salvador is divided into 6 military zones, each of which has its own infantry brigade:
Furthermore, the army has the following units:
- 1 Special Military Security Brigade consisting of 2
Military Police
, 1 Foot Guards and 2 border security battalions,
- 8 infantry detachments with 2 battalions,
- 1 Engineer Command with of 2 battalions,
- 1 artillery brigade with of 2 field artillery and 2 anti-aircraft battalions,
- 1 mechanized cavalry regiment with 2 battalions, and the
- Special Forces Command with 1 Special Operations Group, and 1 Anti-Terrorism Command.
- 1 female soldiers battalion on the artillery brigade
Equipment
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]
Infantry weapons
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]
The Salvadoran Army/Navy/Marines/Air Force use the same kind of small arms types. It also uses telescopic sights, Aimpoint T2 Micro, Ohuhu OH-RG-SC Reflex Sights (panoramic sights), EOTech EXPS 3-0 sights, Barska Holographic Reflex Red Dot Sight, Ozark Rihno Tactical Sights, Trijicon MRO-C sights, EOTech 512..A65 sights, Vortex Optics StrikeFire II sights, Burrist Fast BFire3, Tasco Red Dot Sights, CVLIFE Optics Hunting Rifle Scope 2.5x40e red and green illuminated crosshair mount sights in every kind of assault rifle and rifle that all military branches of the Salvadoran armed forces use.
Vehicles
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]
Note: Sources are circa 1988, while some equipment listed may no longer be in service.
Armored combat vehicles
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Logistic vehicles
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]
[12]
[10]
[8]
Artillery
[
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]
Air-defence equipment
[
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]
[15]
[16]
Notes
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]
- ^
International Institute for Strategic Studies
(February 25, 2021).
The Military Balance 2021
.
London
:
Routledge
. p. 413.
ISBN
9781032012278
.
- ^
"El Salvador withdraws last soldiers from Iraq"
.
USA Today
. February 7, 2009.
- ^
"U.S. military chief thanks El Salvador for Iraq help"
.
Reuters.com
. January 18, 2008
. Retrieved
October 11,
2020
.
- ^
Itamar Eichner (March 20, 2006).
"El Salvador seeks to copy IDF model"
. ynetnews.com.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
aa
ab
ac
ad
ae
af
ag
"Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories"
. Fas.org
. Retrieved
August 26,
2014
.
- ^
World Armies 2008
. Jane's Information Group.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
"El Salvador".
Military Technology World Defence Almanac
. Bonn: Wehr & Wissen: 60. 2005.
ISSN
0722-3226
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"country-data.com > El Salvador > Appendix"
.
Country-data.com
.
- ^
a
b
"Mas dinero para el Ejercito salvadoreno"
. January 22, 2015. Archived from
the original
on January 22, 2015
. Retrieved
March 23,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Jane's VAL Light Assault Vehicle Cashuat"
. Jane's Information Group.
- ^
a
b
"23NOV2018 MDN ENTREGO VEHICULOS A FT"
.
YouTube
. November 23, 2018.
Archived
from the original on December 21, 2021
. Retrieved
March 23,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
"Jane's Military Vehicles and Logistics ? El Salvador"
. Jane's Information Group.
- ^
"2012 News - Embassy of the United States San Salvador, El Salvador"
. January 22, 2015. Archived from
the original
on January 22, 2015
. Retrieved
March 23,
2019
.
- ^
"United States donates Boston Whaler boat to El Salvador's Navy"
.
sv.usembassy.gov
. June 18, 2020.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
"ArmyRecognition.com > Index of El Salvador Military Equipment"
.
Armyrecognition.com
.
- ^
a
b
"105/14 Model 56 105 mm Pack Howitzer"
. Forecast International. Archived from
the original
on December 11, 2008
. Retrieved
July 27,
2009
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- "El Salvador".
Military Technology World Defence Almanac
. Bonn : Wehr & Wissen: 60. 2005.
ISSN
0722-3226
.
External links
[
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]