National Navy of Uruguay - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The National Navy of Uruguay (Armada Nacional del Uruguay) is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay

Military of Uruguay

The Armed Forces of Uruguay consist of an army, navy, and air force. These three branches are constitutionally subordinate to the president through the Minister of Defense...

under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy (Comandante en Jefe de la Armada or COMAR) Admiral Juan H. Fernández.

The service is divided into four main sections:

Fleet Command (Comando de la Flota or COMFLO),
Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional Naval or PRENA),
Materiel Directorate (Dirección General de Material Naval or DIMAT), and
Personnel Directorate (Dirección General de Personal Naval or DIPER).

The Fleet Command is in charge of most of the actual ships of the fleet, the marines, and the naval aviation bases and aircraft. The Coast Guard administers the modest Uruguayan merchant marine and naval registry. The Naval Materiel Directorate preserves and repairs naval equipment, in addition to administering the fleet arsenal and directing hydrological and meteorological study. The Personnel Directorate is concerned with human resources and particularly the administration of the Uruguayan Naval Academy.

In addition, the Fleet General Staff (Estado Mayor General de la Armada or ESMAY) assists the admiral in his administration. It oversees naval intelligence, strategic and tactical planning, logistics, liaison, and political lobbying on the Navy's behalf.

Independence

Under the late Spanish Empire

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....

, Montevideo

Montevideo

Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...

became the main naval base (Real Apostadero de Marina) for the South Atlantic, with authority over the Argentine coast, Fernando Po

Bioko

Bioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...

, and the Falklands

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...

. The arrival of 100 ships under Viceroy Pedro de Cevallos

Pedro Antonio de Cevallos

Pedro Antonio de Cevallos Cortés y Calderón, also spelled Ceballos , was a Spanish military, Governor of Buenos Aires between 1757 and 1766, and the first Viceroy of the Río de la Plata in 1776....

in 1777 was the beginning of the city's prosperity.

The Uruguayan navy, however, dates its origin from General Artigas

José Gervasio Artigas

José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...

's letter of marque

Letter of marque

In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...

on 15 November 1817, which authorized his forces to plunder Buenosairean

United Provinces of South America

The United Provinces of South America was the original name of the state that emerged from the May Revolution and the early developments of the Argentine War of Independence...

shipping wherever they found it. Under the nominal leadership of the Pedro Campbell

Peter Campbell (naval officer)

Peter Campbell, born in Tipperary, founded the Uruguayan Navy....

, the Irish "Gaucho

Gaucho

Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...

Admiral", around 50 privateer

Privateer

A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...

schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

s and brig

Brig

A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...

s (including the República Oriental, the Fortuna, the Valiente, the Temerario, and the Intrépido) were able to capture more than 200 enemy vessels as far off as Madagascar, Spain, and the Antilles

Antilles

The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...

Early Republic

Following independence, a navy was established under Colonel Pablo Zufriategui, a veteran of Artigas's campaigns and the 33 Esterners

Thirty-Three Orientals

The Treinta y Tres Orientales was a militant revolutionary group led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja against the Empire of Brazil. Their actions culminated in the foundation of modern Uruguay...

. As Captain of Ports (Capitán General de Puertos), he fought smuggling and in 1832 directed the first sovereign engagement as the schooner Aguila chased off the pirate ship Exquisit from Uruguayan waters.

Although the force remained too small to play a decisive role in the Great War

Uruguayan Civil War

The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851...

, it is notable that command of the small fleet was personally assumed by "Jose" Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...

, who captured Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...

, Isla Martín García

Isla Martín García

Isla Martín García is an Argentine island off the Río de la Plata coast of Uruguay. The enclave island is within the boundaries of Uruguayan waters; in 1973 both countries reached an agreement establishing Martín García as an Argentine territory and also as a nature reserve.The island of has a...

, and Gualeguaychú

Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos

Gualeguaychú is a city in the , on the left bank of the Gualeguaychú River . It is located on the south-east of the province, approximately 230 km north-west of Buenos Aires...

. The flagship during this period was the corvette Sarandí, named after an important battle in the war for independence.

The first specially-fitted warships were the gunboat

Gunboat

A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...

s General Rivera, General Artigas, and General Suárez. The first was assembled in Uruguay by the Academy of Arts & Crafts (Escuela de Artes y Oficios) and commissioned in April 1884; the second was constructed in Trieste

Trieste

Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...

, then part of Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

, and commissioned in December 1884; the last was the 23-year-old French gunboat Tactique, acquired in 1886. The General Rivera was the first ship of the Navy to pass the Strait of Magellan

Strait of Magellan

The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...

Modern Era

Just prior to World War One, President Williman

Claudio Wílliman

Claudio Wílliman was a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:Wílliman was a member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party and was closely identified with the liberal José Batlle y Ordóñez....

devoted considerable effort and expense to modernizing the navy, viewing it as demanded for Uruguay's "sovereignty and honor." After false starts in 1817, 1863, and 1874, the Naval Academy (Escuela Naval) was finally permanently established in December 1907. New ships included the gunboat Dieciocho de Julio (constructed in the UK in 1889), the cruiser Montevideo (also British, 1887), the transport Maldonado (constructed in Germany in 1886 and soon rebaptized as the Barón de Río Branco for its tasks for the Commission on the Limits of the Merín Lagoon), the steamer Vanguardia, and the courier Oriental. The cruiser Uruguay was constructed to order in Germany and commissioned August 1910. Also in 1910, the government acquired the Cibils-Jackson shipyard, renaming it the National Dock. These advances were then sabotaged by funding cutbacks throughout the 1920s that left the navy poorly maintained.

In June 1916, the tug Instituto de Pesca Nº1 - manned by servicemen - was the second failed attempt to rescue the men of Shackleton's expedition from Elephant Island.

In 1925, the Fleet Aeronautics Service (Servicio de Aeronáutica de la Armada) was created under Captain Atilio Frigerio, the first Uruguayan pilot to obtain the brevet of Military Pilot (Aviano, Italy, 1912). The first planes, however, did not arrive until 1930.

In 1934, the first Naval Act (Ley Orgánica de la Armada) created the Inspectorate of the Navy (Inspección General de Marina), freeing the Navy from direct subordination to the Army. The next year, three patrol boats ordered from Cantieri Navali Riuniti in Genoa arrived. The Paysandú, Salto, and Río Negro served for about thirty years, were decommissioned, and then were brought back into service in the 90s.

World War II

In December 1939, the Río de la Plata saw the first major naval engagement of World War II when the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee faced the cruisers HMS Ajax

HMS Ajax (22)

HMS Ajax was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the British Royal Navy during World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the Siege of Tobruk. This ship was the eighth in the Royal...

, Achilles

HMNZS Achilles (70)

HMNZS Achilles was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, alongside HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter....

, and Exeter

HMS Exeter (68)

HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...

and then fled into Montevideo harbor during the Battle of the River Plate

Battle of the River Plate

The Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War. The German pocket battleship had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September 1939...

. Although Uruguay was officially neutral, her pro-British sentiment allowed the Royal Navy to carry out a highly-successful disinformation campaign that ended in the German scuttling of the ship.

In 1940, La Paloma's Naval Base (Base Naval de la Paloma) was established. The same year, Uruguay introduced conscription and the Navy established the battalions Zapicán and Honor y Patria as part of its Reserve Fleet. The next year, the Navy created the Naval War School (Escuela de Guerra Naval) to improve its officers' training.

Although Uruguay did not officially join the Allies

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

until 15 February 1945, it was involved in assisting the convoy effort. This involved the confiscation of two Italian and two Occupied Danish freighters in Montevideo, which were manned by the Navy and rechristened the Montevideo, the Maldonado, the Rocha, and the Colonia. The Montevideo was sunk by an Italian sub in March 1942, which prompted Uruguay to seize the German freighter Tacoma. In August 1942, the Maldonado was sunk after its commander was taken prisoner by an attacking German U-Boat. Following this, Uruguay leased a number of its boats to the US Navy and received in 1944 the ASW-capable corvette Maldonado.

The Fleet Aeronautics Service received six Kingfisher hydroplanes from America in 1942 and Laguna del Sauce Aeronaval Base (Base Aeronaval No.2 de Laguna del Sauce) in 1947.

Cold War

Following World War II, the beginning of the Cold War saw the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance was an agreement signed on 1947 in Rio de Janeiro among many countries of the Americas...

signed in Rio de Janeiro, which provided for "Hemispheric defense" and required signatory states to work to improve and coordinate their naval forces. Between 1949 and 1952, the FAS received sixteen TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, three SNJ Texan trainers, and twelve F6F Hellcat fighters. More, in 1952, the surface fleet received the destroyer escorts Uruguay (DE-1) and Artigas (DE-2) and, in 1953, the frigate Montevideo.

In 1955, the Coast Guard received the three launches PS-1, PS-2, and PS-3. In May 1959, the PS-2 stood out in the rescue of the crew of the Pietrina off the English coast.

In 1957, the UNITAS joint exercises began between the United States and the navies of Latin America. The basic training was oriented towards protection of marine lines of trade and communication, focusing on escort and ASW exercises. With the aim of improving the navy's range and support capability, the oiler Presidente Oribe was purchased in 1962; ten years later, the second oiler Presidente Rivera; and in 1978, the Juan Antonio Lavalleja.

From 1960 to 1962, naval officers on the Alférez Cámpora circumnavigated the globe.

In 1965, three S2A Tracker ASW planes were received; in 1966, the minesweepers Cte. Pedro Campbell and Montevideo; in 1969, the tender Hurrican; in 1970, the minesweepers Rio Negro and Maldonado. In 1973, the destroyer 18 de Julio replaced the Montevideo.

The present Uruguayan Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales) was established in 1972.

In 1978, repairs were completed to the ROU 20 Capitan Miranda that converted it into a training ship and sailing school. Following graduation from the Naval Academy, cadets embark on a cruise of the world that functions as a good-will tour for Uruguay.

Current

In 1981, three Vigilante class patrol boats arrive for the Coast Guard – the 15 de Noviembre, 25 de Agosto, and Comodoro Coe – but it is discovered that their upkeep is considerably more expensive than promised, and the ships are quite unsuited for conditions in the Rio de la Plata. An attempt to sell them in 1995 found no buyers, however, and so the ships have remained in active service.

In 1988, the Navy acquired a new ship to replace its previous oilers, christened the Presidente Rivera.

From 1989 to 1991, three Commandant Riviere class frigates are purchased from France. These are christened the ROU 02 General Artigas, the ROU 01 Uruguay, and the ROU 03 Montevideo. These too run into problems, particularly with upkeep, and the General Artigas is removed from service. In a decision between the two ships, the Uruguay is decommissioned and the Montevideo receives repairs and refurbishment.

Following the fall of Communism, a number of former East German Volksmarine ships are purchased from the new government. In 1991, the Navy receives the minesweepers ROU 31 Temerario, ROU 32 Valiente, ROU 33 Fortuna, and ROU 34 Audaz. These are named for corsairs of the independence era. On 5 August 2000, the Valiente sank after a collision. Also in 1991, the Otto von Guericke is purchased and converted into the ROU 26 Vanguardia.

The Coast Guard received new American ships, the Colonia and Río Negro; and in 1999, nine boats of the American 44 class.

The buoy tender Sirius was constructed in Montevideo at the National Dock, which also refitted the Portuguese Cte. Pedro Campbell and Uruguay.

Between 1996 and 1999, Wessex W60Mk2 and two Jetstreams are purchased for patrol and ASW.

At the end of 1998, the research ship Oyarvide was purchased from Germany for the purpose of studying and charting the Continental Shelf. It is hoped that the work will justify a redefinition of its boundaries that would approximately double Uruguay's marine exclusive economic zone to around 200,000 km².

Organization

The National Navy is composed of about 5,700 personnel organized principally into four commands, each with its distinctive color for official functions.

The General Corps (Cuerpo General or CG) under the administration of Fleet Command (Color: Black)
The Coastal Corps (Cuerpo de Prefectura or CP) under the administration of the Coast Guard (Color: Gray)
The Corps of Mechanical & Electrical Engineers (Cuerpo de Ingenieros de Máquinas y Electricidad or CIME) under the administration of the General Directorate of Naval Materiel (Color: Blue)
The Corps of Provision & Administration (Cuerpo de Aprovisionamiento y Administración or CAA) under the administration of the General Directorate of Personnel (Color: White)

In addition, there are two General Services Corps (Servicios Generales or SS.GG.)

The Auxiliary Corps (Cuerpo Auxiliar or CA) (Color: Purple) and
The Specialists Corps (Cuerpo Especialista or CE) (Color: Green)

and the Naval Academy (Escuela Naval or ESNAL).

The National Navy also includes the Uruguayan Marine Corps and the National Naval Aviation Command.

Fleet

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...

for Uruguay is ROU (for República Oriental del Uruguay, the "Oriental Republic of Uruguay"). In addition to their ship name, government ships are numerically listed. This is a position and not an identification number: as ships are decommissioned and replaced, their previous numbers are reused by newer vessels.

The current fleet consists of:

Ship	Name	Class	Type	Commissioned	Notes
Escort Division
	Uruguay Uruguay Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...	João Belo João Belo class frigate The João Belo class, also known as Comandante João Belo class, is a class of four frigates of French design, identical to the Commandant Rivière class, with extra equipment for tropical climates...	Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...	2007	Formerly NRP Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.... Cte. João Belo João Belo class frigate The João Belo class, also known as Comandante João Belo class, is a class of four frigates of French design, identical to the Commandant Rivière class, with extra equipment for tropical climates... (F480)
ROU 02	Cte. Pedro Campbell	João Belo João Belo class frigate The João Belo class, also known as Comandante João Belo class, is a class of four frigates of French design, identical to the Commandant Rivière class, with extra equipment for tropical climates...	Frigate Frigate A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...	2007	Formerly NRP Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.... Cte. Sacadura Cabral João Belo class frigate The João Belo class, also known as Comandante João Belo class, is a class of four frigates of French design, identical to the Commandant Rivière class, with extra equipment for tropical climates... (F483)
ROU 03	Montevideo Montevideo Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...	Cdt. Rivière Commandant Rivière class frigate The Commandant Rivière class was a type of frigates built for the French Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Labeled "aviso-escorteur" , they were designed to perform the role of overseas patrol in peacetime and Anti-Submarine escort in wartime.Four similar ships were built for the Portuguese...	Frigate	28 Jan 1991	Formerly FS French Navy The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching... Admiral Charner Commandant Rivière class frigate The Commandant Rivière class was a type of frigates built for the French Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Labeled "aviso-escorteur" , they were designed to perform the role of overseas patrol in peacetime and Anti-Submarine escort in wartime.Four similar ships were built for the Portuguese... (F727)
ROU 04	General Artigas José Gervasio Artigas José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...	Lüneburg (E)	Replenishment oiler Replenishment Oiler A replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....	6 Apr 2005	Refitted with helipad. Used for helicopter patrol & transport. Formerly FGS Freiburg
Patrol Division
ROU 05	Quince de Noviembre	Vigilante	Patrol boat Patrol boat A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...	25 Mar 1981	French-built
ROU 06	Veinticinco de Agosto Independence Day An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...	Vigilante	Patrol boat	25 Mar 1981	French-built
ROU 07	Comodoro Coe John Coe John Halstead Coe , sometimes given in Spanish as Comodoro Juan Coe, was an American-born naval commander important in the early history of Uruguay....	Vigilante	Patrol boat	25 Mar 1981	French-built
ROU 10	Colonia Colonia del Sacramento Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...	Cape Cape class patrol boat Cape class patrol boats were steel hull patrol boats with aluminum superstructures of the United States Coast Guard. They were unnamed until 1964, when they acquired names of US capes of land. Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare , all 35 boats in this class were built at the United... (A)	Patrol boat	25 Jan 1990	Formerly USCGC United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency... Cape Higgon Cape class patrol boat Cape class patrol boats were steel hull patrol boats with aluminum superstructures of the United States Coast Guard. They were unnamed until 1964, when they acquired names of US capes of land. Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare , all 35 boats in this class were built at the United...
ROU 11	Río Negro Río Negro (Uruguay) The Río Negro is the most important river in Uruguay. It originates in the southern highlands of Brazil, just east of Bagé, and flows west across the entire width of Uruguay to the Uruguay River. The course of the Río Negro across Uruguay effectively divides the south of the country from the north...	Cape (C)	Patrol boat	25 Jan 1990	Formerly USCGC United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency... Cape Horn Cape class patrol boat Cape class patrol boats were steel hull patrol boats with aluminum superstructures of the United States Coast Guard. They were unnamed until 1964, when they acquired names of US capes of land. Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare , all 35 boats in this class were built at the United...
ROU 12	Paysandú Paysandú -Transportation:The city is served by Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport.-Climate:Paysandú has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog...	Paysandú	Patrol boat	29 Nov 1968	Italian Fincantieri Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe... -built
Teaching Vessel
ROU 20	Capitán Miranda	Hydrographic	Schooner Tall ship A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....	28 Dec 1930	Spanish-built. Survey ship prior to 1978, now a training ship
ESNAL	Bonanza	Oceanic sail boat	Schooner		training ship
Auxiliary Ships Service
ROU 21	Sirius	Balizador	Buoy tender Buoy tender A buoy tender is a type of vessel used to maintain and replace navigational buoys. The name is also used for someone who works on such a vessel and maintains buoys....	12 May 1988	Built in Montevideo with assistance from Dutch Damen SY Damen Group Damen is a Dutch shipbuilding company which was founded in 1927 by Jan and Marinus Damen in a self-built workshop. In 1954 their 200th ship was delivered.-History:...
Service Division
ROU 22	Oyarvide	Helgoland Helgoland class tug The Type 720 Helgoland class tugs are large seagoing salvage tugs used by the German Navy. After the decommissioning of Helgoland, the class is now referred to as Fehmarn Klasse in the German Navy. As with other auxiliary ship classes in Germany, these tugboats are manned by a civilian crew...	Survey ship	21 September 1998	Also salvage tug, icebreaker, hydrographic research. Formerly FGS Helgoland Helgoland class tug The Type 720 Helgoland class tugs are large seagoing salvage tugs used by the German Navy. After the decommissioning of Helgoland, the class is now referred to as Fehmarn Klasse in the German Navy. As with other auxiliary ship classes in Germany, these tugboats are manned by a civilian crew...
ROU 23	Maldonado Maldonado, Uruguay Maldonado is the capital of Maldonado Department of Uruguay. It is located on Route 39 and shares borders with Punta del Este to the south, Pinares - Las Delicias to the south and to the east and suburb La Sonrisa to the north. Together they all for a unified metropolitan area. East of the city...	Wangerooge Wangerooge class tug The Type 722 Wangerooge class seagoing tugboats are used for rescue and salvage operation by the German Navy. They are also used for towing targets and retrieving training torpedoes... (B)	Salvage tug Salvage tug A salvage tug is a specialized type of tugboat which is used to rescue or marine salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking, or which have already sunk or run aground....	20 Nov 2002	Fitted for firefighting, hydrographic research. Formerly FGS Norderney Wangerooge class tug The Type 722 Wangerooge class seagoing tugboats are used for rescue and salvage operation by the German Navy. They are also used for towing targets and retrieving training torpedoes...
ROU 26	Vanguardia	Piast	Salvage tug	18 Dec 1991	Formerly 570 Otto von Guericke, VM Volksmarine Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
ROU 27	Banco Ortiz	Type 270	Costal tug	8 Nov 1991	Formerly East Germany tug 4 Zingst , VM Volksmarine Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:... , Y1655 Elbe, FGS
Mining & Counter mining Division
ROU 31	Temerario	Kondor II	Minesweeper Minesweeper (ship) A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...	11 Oct 1991	Formerly 89.242 Riesa, VM Volksmarine Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
ROU 33	Fortuna	Kondor II	Minesweeper	11 Oct 1991	Formerly 89.240 Bernau, VM Volksmarine Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
ROU 34	Audaz Audacious Audacious could refer to:* Audacious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy* Audacious , an open source media player* Live Audacious UK Christian youth conference, band and radio show...	Kondor II	Minesweeper	11 Oct 1991	Formerly 89.245 Eisleben, VM Volksmarine Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
Amphibious Division
ROU 41		LADES	Landing Ship
ROU 42		LADES	Landing Ship

Since 1997, the Uruguayan Naval Academy has also maintained the racing sloop

Sloop

A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....

Bonanza, a gift from the US Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

at Annapolis.

Uruguayan Naval Aviation

Uruguayan Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Uruguaya or ANU) is the sub-branch of the National Navy for naval aircraft and aviation training. Naval aircraft use a new wing emblem instead of the traditional Artigas roundel like the Uruguayan Air Force

Uruguayan Air Force

The Uruguayan Air Force is one of the three main branches of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the Uruguayan Ministry of Defense. The current head of the force is General of the Air Enrique A...

for easier identification and use the Uruguayan National flag as fin flash.

Formed as Air Force Service of the Fleet (Servicio de Aeronáutica de la Armada) on 7 February 1925 but didn't receive first aircraft (two CANT 18 and one CANT 21) until 24 September 1930. 12 June 1934 Isla Libertad Naval Air Base (1) in Montevideo Bay operational.
In 1942, Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher & Fairchild PT-23A trainer from US for base access.
10 Sept. 1947, Corvette Captain Carlos A. Curbelo Naval Air Base (2) at Laguna del Sauce operational.
1949-1957, large supply of Grumman Avenger, Grumman Hellcat, Martin Mariner delivered
1951, renamed Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval)
1955, renamed Uruguayan Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Uruguaya)
mid-60s, most reached end of life
1965, Grumman S-2A Tracker and Sikorsky CH-34J
Small command w/Squadron Group (Grupo de Escuadrones) of 2 squadrons and 1 training school
2006, received 6 MBB Bo-105M from Germany.

Current Order of Battle

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...

Westland Wessex

The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force...

HC.2-Mk 2
|

Germany
| Light utility helicopter
|105C
| 6
|
|-----
| Eurocopter AS355

Eurocopter AS355

The Eurocopter AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine light helicopter originally manufactured by Aérospatiale...

HB.355F
|

Brazil
| Light helicopter
|
| 1
|
|-----
Naval Aviation Academy (Escuela de Aviación Naval)
Originally at Angel S Adami 1944-1947
Since then at Captain Carlos Curbelo Naval Air Base (2) at Laguna del Sauce
2 Beech T-34C1 Turbo Mentors

External links

Ministerio de Defensa Nacional - Official site of the Uruguayan Ministry of National Defense (in Spanish)
Armada Nacional - Official site of the National Navy of Uruguay (in Spanish)
Aeroflight: Uruguayan Naval Aviation (in English)

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