Bolivian Army General Staff
The Armed Forces of Bolivia are official organizations responsible for the defence, both of external aggression and internal Bolivia. They also ensure security, stability, and protect the Bolivian Constitution. The armed forces are constituted by: Bolivian Army (including the military police), Bolivian Air Force, Bolivian Navy
In addition, there are units formed by Bolivian Pre-militars (Premilitares), reserve corps, units serving mandatory, and the SAR-FAB of emergency and rescue unit. The current command corresponds to the Admiral Armando Pacheco Gutierrez.
Indian Air Force
Bolivian Land Force
Bolivian Naval Forces
The Indian Air Force (IAF; IAST: Bhāratīya Vāyu Senā) is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks fourth amongst the airforces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honored India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government's transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed after only three years. Since 1950 the IAF has been involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai. The IAF's mission expands beyond engagement with hostile forces, with the IAF participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF. The Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is a four-star officer and is responsible for the bulk of operational command of the Air Force. There is never more than one serving ACM at any given time in the IAF. The rank of Marshal of the Air Force has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history, to Arjan Singh. On 26 January 2002 Singh became the first five-star rank officer of the IAF. The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Air Marshal. The purpose of an operational command is to conduct military operations using aircraft within its area of responsibility, whereas the responsibility of functional commands is to maintain combat readiness. Aside from the Training Command at Bangalore, the primary flight training is done at the Air Force Academy, Dundigul (located in Hyderabad), followed by operational training at various other schools. Advanced officer training for command positions is also conducted at the Defence Services Staff College; specialised advanced flight training schools are located at Bidar, Karnataka and Hakimpet, Telangana (also the location for helicopter training). Technical schools are found at a number of other locations. Over the years reliable sources provided notably divergent estimates of the personnel strength of the Indian Air Force after analysing open-source intelligence. The public policy organisation GlobalSecurity.org had estimated that the IAF had an estimated strength of 110,000 active personnel in 1994. In 2006, Anthony Cordesman estimated that strength to be 170,000 in the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) publication "The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006". In 2010, James Hackett revised that estimate to an approximate strength of 127,000 active personnel in the IISS publication "Military Balance 2010".
Aircraft
CASA CN-235
CASA CN-235
The Bolivian Army or Ejército Boliviano is the land forces component of the Armed Forces of Bolivia. The army consists of an average of 31,500 men.
Combat units directly under the Army general command
1st Infantry Regiment Colorados (Presidential Guard), contains two 2 battalions: BI-201 and BI-202
BATCOM-251,
Gen. maintenance cen. no. 1
Transport batt. no. 1.
1st National parks Security Regiment
Special forces command
The Special Forces command controls the following units:
1st Ranger Regt. German Busch, Challapata
12th Ranger Regt. "MANCHEGO", Montero
16th Infantry Regt. JORDAN, Riberalta (Special Forces)
18th Parachute Infantry Regiment VICTORIA "Army Special Troops Training Center", Cochabamba
24th Ranger Regiment (Mountain) MÉNDEZ ARCOS, Challapata
Army aviation command
Army aviation company 291 (La Paz), army aviation company 292 (Santa Cruz)
291st Cavalry Group (La Paz)
Regional
The Bolivian Army has six military regions covering the various Departments of Bolivia:
RM 1, La Paz, most of La Paz Department: 1st Army Division, 1st Mechanized Division, 297th MPB C.L.Saavedra (Military Police battalion), 296th En Btn CNL R.C.Zabalegui(ecological batt.), BE-297 (ecolog. batt.), BATLOG-1 (Logistics btn.), 291st Air Group, 1st Military Hospital,, Military Police School, Army Equestrian Center, Military College of Bolivia "COL Gustavo Villaroel Lopez", Army School of Intelligence, Army Engineers School MCAL Antonio Jose de Sucre, Army Signals and Communications School, Army Armor School, Army 1st Engineering Regiment CPN Felipe Ochoa "Army Engineering and Maintenance Center", Bolivian Army Military School of Music "LTCOL Antonio Patino"
RM 2, Potosí, covering the departments of Oruro and Potosí: 2nd and 10th ADs,1st RR, 24th RR M.Arcos (ranger regt.), ADA-202 (a.a. group), Army Mountain School
RM 3, Tarija, consisting of Tarija Department and eastern Chuquisaca and southern Santa Cruz:3rd and 4th AD
RM 4, Sucre, covering the departments of Cochabamba and northern Chuquisaca: 7th Army Division, 272th MP Btn., BATLOG-2 (long.Batt), mili.hospital no2, Army Arsensals Cochabamba, Army Command and Staff College MSHL Antonio de Santa Cruz, Army NCO School "SGT M. Paredez", Army Artillery School, 18th PIR "Victoria" (Army Special Troops Training Center), Army NCOs and Warrant Officers Advanced Studies Institute, Army Arms Applications School, 1LT Edmundo Andrade Military High School
RM 5, Cobija, encompassing the Pando Department and parts of La Paz and Beni departments: 6th AD, 16th IR Jordan (special forces), Army Jungle Operations School
RM 6, Santa Cruz, covering most of Santa Cruz Department: 5th and 8th ADs, 273rd MPB R.Amezaga (Military Police), BE-298 (ecological batt.), 12th RR Manchego (ranger), BATLOG-3 (logist. batt.), 292 army aviation company, Bolivian Condores school (special forces), 6th IR
Army Divisions
The army is organized into ten territorial divisions, titled Army Divisions (AD), plus a mechanized division, each of which, with the exception of Viacha, occupy a region generally corresponding to the administrative departments, with some overlapping. These and their respective divisional headquarters and constituent units are:
1st Mechanized Division, Viacha (La Paz Department): 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Camacho", 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 23rd IR (Mechanized Infantry Training), 4th IR Tarapaca (Mech.) 5th ACR, 2nd ACR (Training), 1st Armor Regiment, 8th IR (Mech) "Ayacucho", 2nd Artillery Regt.
1st AD, Viacha (La Paz Department): 36th IR, 35th IR, 30th IR Murillo (mountain), 2nd CEB G.F.Roman.
2nd AD, Oruro: 21st IR Illimani (Mountain), RI 22 Mejillones, 25th RI (Mountain) Tocopilla, RC 8 Braun, Bat.Ing. 7 Sajama.
3rd AD, Villamontes (Tarija Department): 5th IR Campero, RI 20 Padilla, RC 3 Aroma, RA 3 Pisagua, 1st CEB Chorolque.
4th AD, Camiri (Santa Cruz Department):, 6th Infantry Regiment Campos, RI 11 Boqueron, 1st Cavalry Regt. "E. Avaroa", FAR 4 Bullian
5th AD, Roboré (Santa Cruz Department): RI 13 Montes, RI 14 Florida, RI 15 Junin, RC 6 Castrillo, RA 5 Vergara
6th AD, Trinidad: RI 17 Indepedencia, RI 29 Echevarria, RI 31 Rios, RI 32 Murguia, 2nd Cavalry Regt. Ballivan, 8th AR Mendez(reserve), Bat.Ing. 6 Riosinho.
7th Army Division, Cochabamba (the largest):, 18th Parachute Infantry Regiment "Victoria" (Army Special Troops Training Center), 26th IR R.Barrientos (mech.) 29th PIR "CPT V.Ustariz" (airborne), RA 7 Tumusia, Bat.Ing.5 T.N.Ovando
8th AD, Santa Cruz: RI 7 Marzana, RI 10 Warnes (mech.), RC 10 G.M.J.M. Mercado, RA 9 Mitre (reserve), Bat.Ing. 3 Pando.
9th AD (Reserve), Rurrenabaque: the Division has been reduced to reserve status and its component units have been divided up between DE-1 and DE-6
10th AD, Tupiz: 2nd Infantry Regiment "Marshal Antonio Jose de Sucre", 3rd IR "Juan Jose Perez", RI 4 Loa, RI 27 Antofagasta, 7th ACR Chichas (Armored Cavalry), RA 12 Ayohuma (reserve).
Equipment
Harbin Z-9
Harbin Z-9
The Bolivian Navy is a branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia. As of 2008, the Bolivian Navy had approximately 5,000 personnel. Although Bolivia has been landlocked since the War of the Pacific and its 1904 peace treaty, Bolivia established a River and Lake Force (Fuerza Fluvial y Lacustre) in January 1963 under the Ministry of National Defense. It consisted of four boats supplied from the United States and 1,800 personnel recruited largely from the Bolivian Army. The Bolivian Navy was renamed the Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana) in January 1966, but it has since been called the Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana) as well. It became a separate branch of the armed forces in 1963. Bolivia has large rivers which are tributaries to the Amazon which are patrolled to prevent smuggling and drug trafficking. Bolivia also maintains a naval presence on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, across which runs the Peruvian frontier.
Landlocked Bolivia has not reconciled with the loss of its coast to Chile and the Navy exists to keep the hope alive of recovering its coast by cultivating a maritime consciousness. The Bolivian Navy takes part in many parades and government functions, but none more so than the Día Del Mar (Day of the Sea) in which Bolivia, every year, re-vindicates its claim for an unspecified sovereign access to the sea. The Navy is organized into ten naval districts with flotilla headquarters in Guaqui, Guayaramerín, Puerto Suárez, Riberalta, and San Pedro de Tiquina and bases in Puerto Busch, Puerto Horquilla, Puerto Villarroel, Trinidad, and Rurrenabaque.
The Naval Force covers the extensive Bolivian inland waterways divided between the following Naval Districts which are named after the basin or region where they operate:
DN1 First Naval District "BENI" —— (DN1 Primer Distrito Naval "BENI")
DN2 Second Naval District "MAMORA" —— (DN2 Segundo Distrito Naval- "MAMORE")
DN3 Third Naval District "MADERA" —— (DN3 Tercer Distrito Naval "MADERA")
DN4 Fourth Naval District "TITICACA" —— (DN4 Cuarto Distrito Naval "TITICACA")
DN5 Fifth Naval District "SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA" —— (DN5 Quinto Distrito Naval "SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA")
Sixth Naval District DN6 "COBIJA" —— (DN6 Sexto Distrito Naval "COBIJA")
The Naval Service Areas:
AN 1 "COCHABAMBA" —— (AN 1 "COCHABAMBA")
AN 2 "SANTA CRUZ" —— (AN 2 "SANTA CRUZ")
AN 3 "BERMEJO" —— (AN 3 "BERMEJO")
AN 4 "LA PAZ" —— (AN 4 "LA PAZ")
Special Operation capable units:
Task Force "Blue Devils" —— (Fuerza de Tarea "Diablos Azules)
SINDA Naval Intelligence Service of the Bolivian Navy —— (Servicio de Inteligencia Naval)
Immediate Response Group GRIN —— (Grupo de Reacción Inmediata GRIN)
The High Altitude Diving Training Center —— (El Centro de Instrucción de Buceo en Altura)
Command Training Center Amphibians.
The Marine component of the FNB originated with the creation of the Marine Battalion Almirante Grau in the early 1980s. This force consisted of 600 men based on Tiquina Naval Base on Lake Titicaca. The name was later changed to Marine Battalion Independence, based in Chua Cocani (Not to be confused with the Independence Regiment (RI17) of the Bolivian army).
At present this marines maintain a similar number of troops including paramilitaries. Marine personnel are either part of Task Force Blue Devils or are stationed in various naval bases. There are currently seven infantry battalions which are distributed as follows:
First Naval District "BENI" —— (Primer Distrito Naval "BENI")
I Marine Battalion "Bagué" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina I "Bagué")
Second Naval District "MAMORA" —— (Segundo Distrito Naval "MAMORE")
II Marine Battalion "Tocopilla" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina II "Tocopilla")
Third Naval District "MADERA" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina II "Tocopilla")
III Marine Battalion "Mejillones" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina III "Mejillones")
Fourth Naval District Titicaca —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina III "Mejillones")
IV Marine Battalion "Alianza" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina IV "Alianza")
VI Mechanized Marine Battalion "Independence" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina Mecanizada VI "Independencia")
Fifth Naval District "SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA" —— (Quinto Distrito Naval "SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA")
V Marine Battalion Calama —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina V "Calama")
Sixth Naval District "COBIJA" —— (Sexto Distrito Naval "COBIJA")
VII Marine Battalion "Columna Porvenir" —— (Batallón de Infantería de Marina VII "Columna Porvenir")
National Marine Security Corps.
The Policía Militar Naval or PMN is a speciality similar to its counterpart to the Army's Military Police, carrying out operations such as Important Persons Protection (IPP), Physical Security (SEF), or Patrol Facility (PAT) with additional duties such as Signals or naval protocol. There Naval detachments of PM in all district headquarters and FNB Naval Area. But only have the following units at the Battalion:
AN 4 "La Paz" —— AN 4 "Peace"
Naval Military Police Battalion No. 1 —— (Batallón de Policía Militar Naval N° 1)
AN 1 "COCHABAMBA" —— AN 1 "Cochabamba"
Naval Military Police Battalion No. 2 "Quiver" —— (Batallón de Policia Militar Naval N° 2 "Carcaje")
AN 2 "SANTA CRUZ"—— AN 2 "SANTA CRUZ"
Naval Military Police Battalion No. 3 —— (Batallón de Policía Militar Naval N° 3)
Fourth Naval District Titicaca —— (Cuarto Distrito Naval "TITICACA")
Naval Military Police Battalion No. 4 —— (Batallón de Policía Militar Naval N° 4)