Bolivian Navy
Encyclopedia
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Fuerza Naval Boliviana), formerly known as the Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana) is a branch of the Bolivian Armed Forces
Military of Bolivia
- Army :The Bolivian Army has around 55,500 men. There are six military regions in the army. The Army is organized into ten divisions...
. As of 2008, the Bolivian Naval Force had approximately 5,000 personnel. Although Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
has been landlocked since the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
in 1879, 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
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army or Ejército Boliviano is the land forces component of the Military of Bolivia, the Bolivian Army has around 31,500 men.- Combat units directly under the Army general command :...
. The Bolivian Navy was renamed as 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
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
which are patrolled to prevent smuggling and drug trafficking. Bolivia also maintains a naval presence on Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
, the highest navigable lake in the world, across which runs the Peruvian
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
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, asks for the coast territories lost to Chile during the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
which was fought between Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
against Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
from 1879 to 1884. The reconquest of its coastline is a point of honor for Bolivia, influencing many modern day political actions and trade decisions.
Organization
The Navy is organized into ten naval districts with flotilla headquarters in GuaquiGuaqui
Guaqui is a railhead and port in Bolivia on Lake Titicaca. A ferry connects with the Peruvian railhead and port on Puno.- Gauge :The railways on the Bolivian side are gauge, while the railways on the Peruvian side are gauge.- References :...
, Guayaramerín
Guayaramerín
Guayaramerín is a city within the Bolivian Beni Department. It is the capital of the Guayaramerín Municipality in the Vaca Díez Province. Guayaramerín is located on the left side of Mamoré River, facing the Brazilian city of Guajará-Mirim. It is a port in which there is a permanent port of the...
, Puerto Suarez
Puerto Suárez
Puerto Suárez is an important inland river port and municipality in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is located 10 km west of the border with Brazil.-Location:...
, Riberalta
Riberalta
Riberalta is a town in the Beni Department in northern Bolivia, situated where the Madre de Dios River joins the Beni River. Riberalta is on the south bank of the Beni River....
, and San Pedro de Tiquina
San Pedro de Tiquina
San Pedro de Tiquina is a town in the La Paz Department, Bolivia.- References :...
and bases in Puerto Busch
Puerto Busch
Puerto Busch is located in the province of Germán Busch, Santa Cruz Province, republic of Bolivia on the Paraguay River in eastern Bolivia. It is named in honor of General Germán Busch, who fought in the Chaco War....
, Puerto Horquilla, Puerto Villarroel
Puerto Villarroel
Puerto Villarroel is a locality in the Cochabamba Department in central Bolivia. It is the seat of Puerto Villarroel Municipality, the fifth municipal section of Carrasco Province. At the time of census 2001 it had a population of 1,778 .-External links:*...
, Trinidad
Trinidad, Bolivia
Trinidad, officially La Santísima Trinidad , is a city in Bolivia, capital of the department of Beni. The population is 130,000 ....
, and Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
.
Naval vessels include several dozen boats, a dozen or more of which are for riverine patrol. Seagoing vessels, including the American-made PR-51 Santa Cruz de la Sierra and several other vessels sail the oceans with the Bolivian flag with the granted permission of the "Capitanias Navales" Naval Registration Office. The Libertador Simón Bolívar, a ship acquired from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, used to sail from its home port in Rosario, Argentina on the River Paraná. In 1993 the Navy was formally renamed the Naval Force (Fuerza Naval) and moved with the Bolivian Army
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army or Ejército Boliviano is the land forces component of the Military of Bolivia, the Bolivian Army has around 31,500 men.- Combat units directly under the Army general command :...
under a single military authority
Military of Bolivia
- Army :The Bolivian Army has around 55,500 men. There are six military regions in the army. The Army is organized into ten divisions...
.
Most of the officers attend the Bolivian Naval Academy, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Military and Naval Science, accredited by the Military University. Many naval officers later go onto to further studies on the undergraduate and graduate level. Argentina's Naval Military Group in Bolivia advises on naval strategy and tactics. Many Bolivian officers train in ocean sailing on Argentinian seagoing naval ships. The Force has several Special Operations units to address both internal and external threats.
The Force covers the extensive Bolivian inland waterways divided between the following Naval Districts, named after the basin or region where they operate:
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- 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
-
Marine Corps
The Marine component of the FNB originated with the creation of the Marine Battalion Almirante Grau in the early 1980s. This force consists of 600 men is based on Tiquina Naval Base on Lake Titicaca. Later changes name to Marine Battalion Independence, based in Chua (Not to be confused with the Independence RI17 EB). At present this battalion maintains a similar number of troops including paramilitaries. The personnel of this unit 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
Naval Military Police
This speciality is similar to its counterpart in the Army, 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)
Boats
The Bolivian Navy has a total of 173 vessels, mostly stationed on Lake Titicaca:- PATROL:
- 1 Class PR-51
- 6 class boats Cap. Bretel Bretel
- 4 patrol boats lake
- 32 Boston Whaler
- Other ships:
- 8 Piranha assault boats Mk.1
- 3 hospital ships
- 2 Transport of hydrocarbons
- 2 Tankers
- 1 Transport vessel
- 1 Ship "Naval School"
Naval aviation
The Bolivian Naval Force operates two utility aircraft for the use of headquarters.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
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| Cessna 206 Stationair
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| Utility
| 206G
| 1
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| Cessna 402
Cessna 402
The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
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| Utility
| 402C
| 1
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