Ecuadorian Navy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Ecuadorian Navy is responsible for the surveillance and protection of national maritime territory and has a personnel of 7,258 men to protect a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. The vessels are identified by the ship prefix

Ship prefix

A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...

B.A.E.: Buque de la Armada del Ecuador (Ship of the Ecuadorian Navy).

Mission

Organise, train, equip and maintain naval capabilities, as well as to assist and support all procedures involving national security and development. Contribute to the achievement of safeguarding national objectives in times of peace and war.

Vision

Maintain highly trained naval forces to secure victory within the maritime zone in order to support developing communities. As a consequence operate highly qualified military personnel which is able to fulfil its role based on elevated moral, values and principles.

History

The roots of the Ecuadorian Navy or (Armada Ecuatoriana) date back to 1823 whilst forming a part of the Gran Colombia

Gran Colombia

Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...

n fleet. In 1832 the by then, Ecuadorian congress established officially "The Ecuadorian Maritime Department". On the 25th July 1941 during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, the gunboat Calderon
BAE Abdón Calderón
BAE Abdón Calderón was a naval ship of Ecuador. It was launched in 1886.During the 1941 border conflict with Peru the Calderon had a encounter in the Jambeli channel with the Peruvian Orfey class destroyer Almirante Villar. After an exchange of fire the Ecuadorian ship returned immediately to...

commanded by Rafael Morán Valverde encountered the Peruvian destroyer Almirante Villar in the Jambeli channel. The Ecuadorian gunboat opened fire on Villar, keeping its distance while doing shots for elevation, but the Peruvian destroyer returned fire for the duration of the chase, which was ended by the Peruvians when the Calderon took refuge in the channels. The Calderon was hit twice in the encounter, leaving the Villar unharmed, despite some Ecuadorian claims of heavy damage. However, this event had no influence over the general outcome of the war as Puerto Bolivar

Puerto Bolívar

Puerto Bolivar is part of the municipality of Machala, El Oro Province, Ecuador. Puerto Bolívar is one of the world's largest shipment points for bananas, most of them destined for Europe; about 80% of Ecuador's banana production is shipped through these port facilities.The port was named in honor...

was lost to Peruvian Troops

Peruvian Army

The Peruvian Army is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations...

only two days later.

Present day

Today, the Ecuadorian Navy is a compact, efficient and well-balanced force. However, limited funds hinder any major acquisitions and the chances of maintaining a strong force within the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

. Since introduction of a restructuring program within the Armed Forces, ("PATRIA I"), the Navy's structure became simplified. It supervises the Pacific Coast

Pacific Coast

A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...

and Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...

all in one naval zone. Most sea-going assets are based at Guayaquil

Guayaquil

Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...

. The Navy consists of the following vessels:
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Vessel
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Class
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-
!colspan=6 bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|Training ship (1 in service)
|-
|
|
| Sail training ship
| steel-hulled barque
|
| as an ambassador of its country, the Guayas is a participant in tall ship regattas. By the end of 2008 the Guayas had visited 60 harbours in 25 countries and covered about 340,000 nautical miles (630,000 km).
|-
!colspan=6 bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|Submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

s (2 in service)
|-
| BAE Shyri (S101)
|
| Type 209/1300

Type 209 submarine

The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...

Type 209 submarine

The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...

Assad class corvette

The Assad class corvette were originally built for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War, by Fincantieri in Italy. Six ships were ordered in 1981. They were completed just before Operation Desert Storm, and were never delivered because of the UN arms embargo. Four of the six ships were sold to the...

Assad class corvette

Assad class corvette

Assad class corvette

Assad class corvette

Assad class corvette

Fast Attack Craft

Fast Attack Craft are small, fast, agile and offensive warships, that are armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes. These are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the sea-keeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel...

(3 in service)
|-
| LAE Quito (LM-25)
|
| TNC 45 Seawolf class FAC
| Quito class
|
|
|-
| LAE Guayaquil (LM-26)
|
| TNC 45 Seawolf class FAC
| Quito class
|
|
|-
| LAE Cuenca (LM-27)
|
| TNC 45 Seawolf class
| Quito class
|
|
|-
!colspan=6 bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|Auxiliaries (6 in service)
|-
|
|
|
| Huacolpo class
|
| used as transport and listed as active in 2007 but may be not operational.
|-
| BAE Calicuchima (TR-62)
|
| ammunition supply ship
| Kintebury class
|
| ex-RMAS Throsk (A379)
|-
| BAE Atahualpa (TR-63)
|
| Water harbour tanker
| YW type
|
| ex-US YW 131
|-
| BAE Quisquis (TR-64)
|
| Water harbour tanker
| Waterfall class
|
| ex-Waterside (Y-20)
|-
| BAE Taurus (TR-65)
|
| Coastal oil tanker
| Taurus class
|
| civilian ship bought in 1987. Built by Astinave, Guayaquil. Currently status is unknown.
|-
| BAE Chimborazo (RA-70)
|
| Fleet tug
|
|
| ex-
|-
!colspan=6 bgcolor="#f9f9f9"|Scientific research vessels (2 in service)
|-
| BAE Orion (BI-91)
|
| Oceanographic research ship
| Orion class
|
|
|-
| LAE Sirius
|
| Oceanographic research ship
| Sirius class
|
|
|}

Naval Weapon Systems

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Name
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Version
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Used by
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Naval artillery
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...

|-----
| QF 4.5 inch naval gun || || dual-purpose naval gun || Mark VI || Condell class frigate

Condell class frigate

The Condell class was the name given to a class of two new build and upgraded type Leander class frigates of the Chilean Navy, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch. They were ordered by the Chilean government in 1969 as ASW frigates. The ships were built between 1969 and 1973, under Chilean...

||
|-----
| Oto Melara 76/62 Compact Gun

Otobreda 76 mm

The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...

|| || dual-purpose naval gun || 76/62 Compact || Tipo 550 class corvette

Assad class corvette

||
|-----
| Oto Melara

Oto Melara

Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...

Twin 40 Compact Gun || || Close-in weapon system (CIWS)

Close-in weapon system

A close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....

|| Twin 40L70 || Tipo 550 class corvette

Assad class corvette

||
|-----
| Raytheon Phalanx 20mm Gatling Gun

Phalanx CIWS

The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...

|| || Close-in weapon system (CIWS)

Close-in weapon system

|| Phalanx Block 0 || Condell class frigate

Condell class frigate

||
|-----

! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Anti-ship missiles
|-----
| MBDA Exocet

Exocet

The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...

|| || anti-ship missile (AShM)

Anti-ship missile

Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...

|| MM40 Block 2 || Condell class frigate

Condell class frigate

Tipo 550 class corvette

Assad class corvette

||
|-----
| MBDA Exocet

Exocet

|| || anti-ship missile (AShM)

Anti-ship missile

|| MM38 || TNC 45 Seawolf class FAC ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

|-----
| MBDA Aspide

Selenia Aspide

The Aspide is an Italian medium range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile produced by Selenia . It is provided with semi-active radar-homing seeker...

|| || surface-to-air missile (SAM)

Surface-to-air missile

A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

|| Aspide 1A || Tipo 550 class corvette

Assad class corvette

||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Torpedoes
|-----
| Atlas Elektronik SST || || 533 mm heavyweight torpedo || SST-4 mod 0 || Type 209 submarine

Type 209 submarine

The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...

||
|}

Naval aviation

The Ecuadorian Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Ecuatoriana) was formed in 1967 with fixed wing aircraft and received some helicopters in 1973. It remains the least effective section of the navy; capable of performing limited maritime patrol missions, it consists of fixed wing and a rotary wing element. Aircraft are based at Base Aérea Simón Bolívar in Guayaquil

Guayaquil

and the Eloy Alfaro Air Base in Manta

Manta

Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas....

. The most recent acquisition of the ANE are two Heron 1

IAI Heron

The IAI Heron is a Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance operations of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 35,000 feet...

and four Searcher Mk. III

IAI Searcher

|-See also:-References:This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain....

from Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

. These have increased the Navy's coastal surveillance capacity significantly.

Aircraft	Type	Version	In service	Notes
Maritime patrol aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air Beechcraft Super King Air The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...	maritime surveillance aircraft	CATPASS 250MP	1	two units delivered in January and June 1997 respectively. CATPASS conversion includes a bottom-mounted surface-search radar, FLIR and ESM provisions.
CASA CN‑235 Persuader	maritime patrol aircraft	CN‑235‑MPA	1	equipped with surface-search radar.
Helicopters
Bell 206 JetRanger Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected... Bell TH-57 SeaRanger Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...	training helicopter	206B TH-57A	3 3
Bell 230 Bell 222 The Bell 222 is a twin-engined light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter. The Bell 230 is an improved development with different engines and other minor changes. A cosmetically modified version of the 222 was used as the titular aircraft in the US television series Airwolf.-Development:In the late...	radar surveillance	230T	1	two units delivered in total. One unit crashed at sea in 2009.
Bell 430 Bell 430 -External links:*...	utility helicopter	430	2	two units delivered in August 1, 2010. The first 430 received a Garmin GNS400 GPS coupled to the autopilot. Both were equipped with a Honeywell Mark XXII EGPWS, right hand sliding door, hoist provisions and some maintenance items.
Trainer Aircraft
Beechcraft T‑34 Mentor T-34 Mentor The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C...	advanced trainer	T-34C-1	3
ENAER T-35 Pillán T-35 Pillán Not to be confused with the T-35 Buckaroo. For other uses, see: T35 Not to be confused with the T-35 Buckaroo. For other uses, see: T35 ...	basic trainer	T-35B	4
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity... s
IAI Heron IAI Heron The IAI Heron is a Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance operations of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 35,000 feet...	patrol UAV	Heron I	2
IAI Searcher IAI Searcher \|-See also:-References:This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain....	patrol UAV	Searcher III	4
Utility Aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air Beechcraft Super King Air The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...	light transport	B200 B300 B350	2 1 1
CASA CN-235 CASA CN-235 The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engined transport plane that was jointly developed by CASA of Spain and IPTN of Indonesia as a regional airliner and military transport. Its primary military roles include maritime patrol, surveillance, and air transport...	tactical transport	CN-235M-100	1

Coast Guard

The Coast Guard (Cuerpo de Guardacostas de la Armada) became fully operational in 1980. Their mission is to control maritime activities on national territory, including all river zones. The objective is the internal security, protection of human life at sea and environmental protection. It disposes of around 250 men and 30 major as well as 40 smaller, partially very modern patrol vessels.

Marines

The Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) was formed on 12 November 1962. It maintains a strength of around 1700 marines, with their HQ in Guayaquil

Guayaquil

. The units are individually spread across the naval coast of Ecuador and are equipped with infantry support weapons, including 60 mm and 81 mm mortars

Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....

, 106 mm recoilless rifles

Recoilless rifle

A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...

(RCLs) and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , better known as the Humvee, is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by smaller Jeeps such as the M151 MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV,...

s. However, it lacks amphibious assault and sealift capacity. The Ecuadorian Marines are to maintain a high level of alert in order to execute special operations in difficult territory as well as to provide a fast response to counter amphibious incursions. Structure:

Escuela de la Infanteria Marina (Naval Infantry School)
Compañia de Seguridad "Guayaquil" (Security Detachment)
Batallon de Infanteria Marina "Jambeli"
Battallon de Infanteria Marina "San Eduardo"
Battallon de Infanteria Marina "San Lorenzo"
Battallon de Infanteria Marina "Jaramijo"
Battallon de Infanteria Marina "Esmeraldas"