Paraguayan Army

Paraguayan Army
Paraguayan Army Seal
Founded	Officially since 1811
Country	Paraguay
Type	Army
Size	20.000 active personnel[1] 160.000 reserves
Part of	Armed Forces of Paraguay
Motto(s)	Spanish: Vencer o Morir To win or to die
March	Marcha al Mariscal Lopez
Anniversaries	24 of July (Mariscal Lopez Birthday)
Engagements	War of the Triple Alliance Chaco War Paraguayan People's Army insurgency
Commanders
Chief of the Paraguayan Army	GEN Darío Martin Cáceres Snead
Notable commanders	José Félix Estigarribia Francisco Solano López

The Paraguayan Army (Spanish: Ejército Paraguayo) is the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, organized into three divisions and 9, and several commands and direction. It has gone to war on three occasions: in the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay; the Chaco War against Bolivia; and the ongoing Paraguayan People's Army insurgency.

Mission[]

• Maintaining the sanctity of the land borders of the Republic of Paraguay.
• To strengthen civil-military relations.
• Cooperate in emergency rescue and relief operations during disasters.
• Organize, compose and manage reservations.
• To organize, equip and train strength to face any domestic or international threat/
• Cooperate in activities to support the country's national development.
• To cooperate with scientific and technological development of the country.

History[]

Uniforms of cavalry and infantry of the Paraguayan army at the time of the War of the Triple Alliance.

Paraguay's army was formally established in 1811, the year of the country's independence. For the first several years of Paraguay's existence the commanders of the army, such as Fulgencio Yegros and Pedro Juan Caballero, formed the majority of the cabinet until 1814, when they were replaced by Dr. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, who installed himself as supreme dictator for life after a series of political clashes with Yegros. Francia removed all army personnel from the government and reformed the army, which was by now inept and corrupt. He limited the power of the army by declaring that no rank above captain could be achieved, and that after three years of service officers were to be retired. By 1816 there were no officers in the army who had fought at the Tacuari or the Paraguari. Francia's horse-grenadier guard company was the first new unit created and was to form the nucleus of the army. Each captain was given command of a branch of the service, which consisted of line infantry, light infantry, dragoons, chasseurs, hussars and artillery. The infantry, artillery and hussars were stationed in the capital Asuncion, and the rest of the army was stationed in outposts around the country to defend from attacks by Indians. The cavalry would go dismounted during peacetime, and were distinguished by the yellow aiguillette sewn onto their left shoulder. Although no formal wars were fought, conflicts with the Chaco Indians, particularly the sub-groups of the Guaykuru tribes, raged in the borderlands. The size of the army varied according to the magnitude of threat. In 1825 it was 5000 strong, but in 1834 it was only 649 strong. There was also a large number of militia troops, which usually numbered around 25,000.

After Francia's death in 1840, Carlos Antonio Lopez assumed power and modernized the army and expanded the navy. He opened an iron foundry at Ybycui that produced arms and bullets and also built up a railway system in the country to transport troops and materiel.

Following the succession of Lopez's son, Francisco Solano López, the army was expanded yet further until it was one of the largest in South America, consisting by 1864 of 44 infantry battalions, 46 cavalry regiments and four artillery regiments. In that same year Paraguay fought its first actual war against Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Despite numerical superiority and initial success, the allies soon upped their game and Paraguay eventually found itself surrounded. Despite constant defeat on the field by the allies, the Paraguayans did not capitulate until Lopez had been killed in 1870, on the run with his 200 remaining men.

Presence in UN Missions[]

• Haiti (MINUSTAH)
• Cyprus (UNIFICYP)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
• Chad Central African Republic (MINURCAT)
• Ivory Coast (ONUCI)

Structure[]

As of 2016, the Paraguayan Army had a total strength of 10,600 personnel, including 2,500 conscripts.^[1]

The Paraguayan Army is composed of Presidential Guard Regiment, organized into a regimental HQ, two battalions (infantry and military police), an armored squadron and a battery of field artillery (plus the Mounted Ceremonial Squadron "Aca Caraya"). The regimental equipment includes three Argentine modified M4 Sherman tanks, four EE-9 armored cars, four EE-11 armored personnel carriers (APCs), three M-9 halftracks mounting 20mm guns and four M-101 105 mm howitzers. Arguably, this "flagship" unit is structurally and physically the strongest of the whole of the Army. The REP is an independent unit from other commands. The EP features two field artillery groups (GAC 1–12 88 mm QF-25 and GAC 2–12 105mm M-101) and one air defense artillery group (GAA 13 40 mm L 40/60, Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, and six M-55 4×12, 7.0 mm).

Six battalions of combat engineers, one communications battalion, one Special Forces battalion, seven regiments of infantry and six regiments of cavalry comprise the rest of the force. There is little organic aviation available to it.

Each corps has a weapons school run by its command. The logistical command manages and addresses materials, mobilization, health care, etc. The command of the Army Institute of Education administers three schools, commissioned and noncommissoned officers, a military academy and the CIMEFOR (a center for pre-military study that trains Reserve officers).

Each of the nine divisions that make up the three corps has one or two regiments of infantry or cavalry, its platoon of engineers, its communications section, military police units, etc.

• Presidential Guard Regiment with its base in Asuncion
• 1st Army Corps (Curuguaty)
  • Infantry Division 3
  • Infantry Division 4
  • Cavalry Division 3
• 2nd Army Corps (San Juan Bautista)
  • Infantry Division 1
  • Infantry Division 2
  • Cavalry Division 2
• 3rd Army Corps (Mariscal Estigarribia)
  • Infantry Division 5
  • Infantry Division 6
  • Cavalry Division 1
• Special forces command (Cerrito)
  • One Special Forces battalion and one Special Forces school.
• Army Artillery command (Paraguari)
  • Two artillery groups and one anti-aircraft group, one artillery school.
• The Infantry School and the Infantry Training Battalion.
• Army Command of engineers (Tacumbu)
  • One school and six battalions.
• Army communications command(Tacumbu)
  • One school and one signal battalion.
• Army Training and Doctrine Command
  • Operates the , three military schools, and a noncommissoned officers school
• Army logistic command (Asuncion)
  • The logistic command manages and addresses materials, mobilization, health care, etc.

Equipment[]

Armored vehicles[]

Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
M4 Sherman	Medium tank	United States	3[1]	Retired in 2018[2]
M3 Stuart	Light tank	United States	10[3]	10 operational as of 2014, 4 more in storage[3]
M9 Half-track	Armored personnel carrier	United States	23[4]
EE-9 Cascavel	Armored car	Brazil	28[4]	Upgraded in Brazil in 2008.
EE-11 Urutu	Armored personnel carrier	Brazil	12[4]

Logistic vehicles[]

Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
M.Benz Atego		Brazil
		Brazil
Unimog		Germany
MAN 630		Germany	100	Upgraded in Germany in 1994
MAN KAT1		Germany	20	Ordered in 2013
		Brazil	5?	Maybe not operational
Ford Cargo 17-22		Brazil	+78
Ford Ranger	Utility vehicle	Argentina	19
Land Rover Defender 130	Utility vehicle	United Kingdom	96
Land Rover Defender 110	Utility vehicle	United Kingdom
Agrale Marrua	Utility vehicle	Brazil	17
Chevrolet S10	Utility vehicle	Brazil	104
Mitsubishi L200	Utility vehicle	Brazil	+11
ARGO 8×8	Amphibious all-terrain vehicle	Canada	12

Artillery pieces and mortars[]

Model	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
M108 howitzer	Howitzer (self-propelled)	United States	6[5]	105 mm
M101 howitzer	Howitzer	United States	20/26	105 mm
Ordnance QF 25-pounder	Howitzer	United Kingdom	12	87.6 mm
7.5 cm FK 38 Krupp	Howitzer	Germany	12	75 mm, in reserve.
Bofors 75 mm Model 1934	Mountain gun	Sweden	6/12	75 mm, in reserve.
M20 recoilless rifle	Recoilless rifle	United States	?	75 mm
Brandt mle 27/31	Mortar	France	80	81 mm
M30 mortar	Mortar	United States	8	107 mm
	Mortar	United States	38	120 mm
	Mortar	Spain	42	60 mm
M1A1	Anti-aircraft artillery	United States	10	90 mm
Bofors 40 mm L/60		Sweden	13	40 mm
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon	Anti-aircraft artillery	Switzerland	20	20 mm, some mounted in vehicles.
	Anti-aircraft artillery	Switzerland	3	20 mm
M3 Half-track	half-track Armored personnel carrier	United States	3	Armed with 20 mm cannons

Anti-Armor Weapons[]

Model	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Anti-Armor Guns
M40	United States	106 mm. Recoilless rifle	6
M20	United States	75 mm. Recoilless rifle	31
M18 recoilless rifle	United States	57 mm. Recoilless rifle	32
Bazooka M-20	United States	Recoilless rocket antitank weapon	136
M72 LAW	United States	Anti-tank rocket launcher	80	First delivery

Small arms[]

Name	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Pistols
Beretta 92	Italy	Pistol	9×19mm Parabellum
Browning HP35	Belgium	Pistol	9×19mm Parabellum
Taurus 9 mm	Brazil	Pistol	9×19mm Parabellum
Rifles
T65K2	Taiwan	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm	Standard issue
FN FAL	Belgium	Assault rifle	7.62×51mm
M4 carbine	United States	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm
Norinco CQ	China	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm	Limited use
M16 rifle	United States	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm	Limited use
HK G3	West Germany	Assault rifle	7.62×51mm	In reserve
M24 Sniper Weapon System	United States	Sniper rifle	7.62×51mm
Barrett M82	United States	Anti-materiel rifle	12.7×99mm	Version M-107A1
Submachine guns and machine guns
MP5	West Germany	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum
IMI Uzi	Israel	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum
FN MAG	Belgium	Machine gun	7.62×51mm	use for EE9-Cascabel, Land Rover Defender 110.
IMI Negev	Israel	Light machine gun	5.56×45mm
Heckler & Koch HK21	West Germany	Machine gun	7.62×51mm	Version HK-21E
Browning M2HB	United States	Machine gun	12.7×99mm
M1919 Browning machine gun	United States	Machine gun	7.62×51mm	Version A4
ZB vz. 26 Brno	Czechoslovakia	Machine gun	7.62×51mm	Upgraded by IMBEL (Brazil) in the 80s
Grenade launchers
M-79	United States	Grenade launcher	40 mm. grenade
M203	United States	Grenade launcher	40 mm. grenade

Ranks[]

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Paraguayan Army[6] v t
			General de ejército		General de división		General de brigada				Coronel		Teniente coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente primero		Teniente		Subteniente

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Paraguayan Army[6] v t
	Sub-oficial principal			Sub-oficial mayor			Sub-oficial	Sargento ayudante	Sargento primero		Vice sargento primero						Sargento segundo						Cabo primero				Cabo segundo								Soldado

See also[]

• Armed Forces of Paraguay

References[]

Notes

Works cited

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). "The Military Balance 2012". The Military Balance : Annual Estimates of the Nature and Size of the Military Forces of the Principal Powers. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222.

External links[]

• mdn.gov.py
• [1]