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Peruvian Navy

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The Peruvian Navy (Spanish: Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations and participating in international peacekeeping operations.

As of 2006, the Peruvian Navy comprises 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 8 frigates, 6 corvettes, 6 submarines, 4 tank landing ships and 2 replenishment oilers. Ships are given the prefix BAP, short for Buque Armada Peruana (Peruvian Navy Ship). The Marina de Guerra del Perú celebrates on October 8 the anniversary of its creation (1821) and of the Battle of Angamos (1879).

Contents

History

Main article: History of the Peruvian Navy

Battle of Angamos, October 8, 1879.
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Battle of Angamos, October 8, 1879.''

The Marina de Guerra del Perú was established on October 8, 1821 by the government of general José de San Martín. Its first actions were made during the War of Independence (1821-1824) using captured Spanish warships. Shortly afterwards it was engaged in the war against the Gran Colombia (1828-1829) during which it conducted a blockade against the seaport of Guayaquil and then helped with the occupation of this city by Peruvian forces. It saw further action during the wars of the Peru-Bolivian Confederacy (1836-1839) and during the war with Spain (1866). The breakout of the Pacific War (1879-1883) caught the Peruvian Navy unprepared and with inferior forces in comparison with the Chilean Navy. Even so, hit-and-run tactics carried out by Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau, commander of the ironclad Huáscar, delayed the Chilean advance by six months until his death and defeat at the Battle of Angamos.

The protected cruiser Almirante Grau.
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The protected cruiser Almirante Grau.''

After the war, the Peruvian Navy had to be rebuilt from the ground up. This lengthy process started in 1907 with the acquisition in the United Kingdom of the protected cruisers Almirante Grau and Coronel Bolognesi, followed by the arrival of two submarines, Ferré and Palacios, from France in 1911. During the Presidency of Augusto B. Leguía (1919-1930) a Navy Ministry was established as well as a Navy Aviation Corps, both in 1920. Border conflicts with Colombia in 1911 and 1932 and a war with Ecuador in 1941 saw Peruvian warships involved in some skirmishes in support of the Army. The attack on Pearl Harbor brought World War II to the Pacific and even though Peru didn't declare war on the Axis until 1945, it's Navy was involved in coastal defence missions against possible threats by the Imperial Japanese Navy from early 1942 up to mid-1945. During the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s the Peruvian Navy carried out a major buildup programme which allowed it to regain parity vis-à-vis its traditional rival, the Chilean Navy. This proved to be temporary because the economic crisis of the second half of the 1980s forced the decommissioning of several warships and a general lack of funds for maintenance and training. The economic upturn of the 1990s and 2000s has permitted some improvement although at a reduced force level compared to the early 1980s.

Organization

The current Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Navy is Admiral Jorge Ampuero. Naval Forces are subordinated to the Ministry of Defense and ultimately to the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Armed Forces. They are organized as follows:

Operational units are divided between three commands:

Comandancia General de Operaciones del Pacífico

Pacific Operations General Command, it comprises the following units:

Comandancia General de Operaciones de la Amazonía

Amazon Operations General Command, tasked with river patrolling in the Peruvian portion of the Amazon Basin.

Dirección General de Capitanías y Guardacostas

Coast Guard, tasked with law enforcement on Peruvian territorial waters, rivers and lakes.

Bases

Callao naval base.
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Callao naval base.''

Although most of the fleet is based at Callao, this is not considered an ideal location because it's also the main outlet for Peruvian trade, causing space and security problems. During the 1980s the building of a new naval base at Chimbote was considered but high costs and a bad economic situation made the project unfeasible.[#endnote_Caretas]

Personnel

Cadets of the Peruvian Naval School.
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Cadets of the Peruvian Naval School.''

Personnel (as of 2001) [#endnote_Rial]
Commissioned Officers 2,107
Non-commissioned officers 16,863
Cadets 620
NCO in training 1,533
Enlisted 4,855
Civilians 5,079
Total 25,988 (excl. civilians)

BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) firing its guns.
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BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) firing its guns.''

Cruiser

De Ruyter class

Destroyer

Daring class

Frigates

Modified Lupo class

Lupo class

Corvettes

BAP Sánchez Carrión (CM-26).
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BAP Sánchez Carrión (CM-26).''

PR-72P class

Submarines

BAP Chipana (SS-34).
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BAP Chipana (SS-34).''

Type 209/1200 class

Tank Landing Ships

Naval Infantry coming ashore from BAP Callao (DT-143).
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Naval Infantry coming ashore from BAP Callao (DT-143).''

Terrebonne Parish class

  • BAP Loreto (CF-11)
  • BAP Amazonas (CF-12)
  • BAP Marañón (CF-13)
  • BAP Ucayali (CF-14)

BAP Mollendo (ATC-131).
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BAP Mollendo (ATC-131).

  • BAP Caloyeras (ACA-111)
  • BAP Noguera (ACP-118)
  • BAP Gauden (ACP-119)
  • BAP Carrasco (AH-171) ex HNLMS Abcoude
  • BAP Marte (ALY-313)
  • BAP Unanue (AMB-160) ex USS Wateree
  • BAP Guardián Ríos (ARA-123) ex USS Pinto
  • BAP San Lorenzo (ART-322)
  • BAP Mollendo (ATC-131) ex BAP Ilo
  • BAP Talara (ATP-152)
  • BAP Lobitos (ATP-153) ex USNS Sealift Caribbean
  • BAP Supe (ATP-157)

Naval Aviation

Peruvian Navy AB-212 ASW helicopter landing.
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Peruvian Navy AB-212 ASW helicopter landing.''

Naval Infantry

Naval Infantry
Peruvian Naval Infantry conducting exercises on the Amazon river.
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Peruvian Naval Infantry conducting exercises on the Amazon river.''

Other units

Equipment

Peruvian Navy Aspide SAM.
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Peruvian Navy Aspide SAM.

  • A-184 533 mm heavyweight torpedo
  • A-244 324 mm lightweight torpedo
  • SST-4 Mod 0 533 mm heavyweight torpedo

Peacekeeping Operations

The Peruvian Navy has been actively involved in several United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. As of June of 2006 Naval Infantry and Special Operations troops have been deployed to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Also Peruvian naval officers have been deployed to United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) as United Nations Militar Observers (UNMOs).

Future plans

According to current plans, the destroyer Ferré will soon be decomissioned followed by the fleet flagship, the cruiser Almirante Grau, in 2008 or 2010. By 2010 the fleet is expected to be composed of 8 frigates, 6 corvettes, 6 submarines and two replenishment oilers. They will be supported by 3 maritime patrol aircraft and 8 antisubmarine warfare helicopters.[#endnote_Defensa]

Notes

  1. ↑  "La base de Chimbote", Caretas, 1985.
  2. ↑  http://www.resdal.org/art-rial.htm, based on Supreme Decree DS No. 69 DE/SG of 2001.
  3. ↑  Alejo Marchessini, "El proceso de Reforma Militar". Defensa 318: 24-29 (October 2004).

Sources

See also

[Hymn of the Peruvian Navy] ([Media helphelp]·[info])

External links


 
Military of Peru

Peruvian Army | Peruvian Navy | Peruvian Air Force

 

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