Armed Forces of Paraguay

The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander-in-chief.

Paraguay has compulsory military service, and all 18-year-old males and 17-year-olds in the year of their 18th birthday are liable for one year of active duty. The 1992 constitution allows for conscientious objection to obligatory military service, it was legislated and sanctioned by both chambers of the Congress, to be promulgated by the Executive Power on June the 17th of 2010. This law is known as, «Law number 4013/10, "That established the exercise of the right to conscientious objection to obligatory military service and establishes the substitute service for it for the benefit of the civilian population"»

In July 2005, military aid in the form of U.S. Special Forces began arriving at Paraguay's Mariscal Estigarribia air base, a sprawling complex built in 1982.^[5][6]

Army

In land forces the Paraguayan Army is composed of a Presidential Guards Regiment, composed two battalions (

Six battalions of combat engineers, one communications battalion, one Special Forces battalion, seven regiments of infantry, six regiments of cavalry (R.C.-2 equipped with 12 M3A1, five operational, 20 M9 half-tracks modernized and R.C.-3: 24 EE-9 Cascavels, eight EE-11 Urutu APCs plus utility trucks for motorized infantry). This has little organic aviation available to it.

Each corps has a weapons school run by its command. The logistical command manages 10 addresses materials, mobilization, health care, etc. The command of the Army Institute of Education administers three schools, commissioned and noncommissioned officers, a military academy, and the CIMEFOR (a center for pre-military study that trains Reserve officers).

Each of the nine divisions that make up the three corps has one or two regiments of infantry or cavalry, its platoon of engineers, its communications section, military police units, etc.

Navy

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2010)

Although Paraguay is a landlocked country, it has a strong naval tradition by virtue of the fact that it has access to the

Grupo Aeronaval de Propósitos Generales (GAPROGEN)

Grupo Aeronaval de Entrenamiento (GAEN)

• COAPCOM: Comando de Apoyo al Combate.(Combat Support Command)
• CINAE: Comando de Institutos Navales y Enseñanza. (Naval Education and Training Command)
• PGN: Prefectura General Naval.(General Naval Prefecture)

Cuartel General (Command)

Estado Mayor (HQ)

Prefectura Zona Pilar (Pilar Naval Prefecture)

Prefectura Zona Alberdi (Alberdi Naval Prefecture)

Prefectura Zona Central (Central Naval Prefecture)

Prefectura Zona Concepcion (Cencepcion Naval Prefecture)

Prefectura Zona Olimpo (Olimpo Naval Prefecture)

• DIRMAT: Dirección del Material (Material Directorate)
• DIAPSER: Dirección de Apoyo al Servicio (Service Support Directorate)

As of 2022, the Commander of the Paraguayan Navy is Rear Admiral Carlos Diaz. He is "Contraalmirante, Comandante de la Flota de Guerra de la Armada". (ABC Color, 12/28/22: "Gunboat 'Humaita' returns to its normal position after worrying inclination")

Air Force

The air force, the newest and smallest of the services, has about 1,100 personnel as of 2012.^[8] The Paraguayan Air Forces is organised in an Air Brigade of seven air groups and a brigade of paratroopers on battalion level. Almost all operating units are based in premises at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (SGAS) in Asunción.

The units comprising the force are: the Aerotactico group (TAG) with three fighter squadrons (numbered 1 to 3), respectively equipped with the MB-326, T-33 and EMB-312. The first two are in storage or operating either by withdrawal of this aircraft. The squadron "Moros", equipped with Tucanos, has only one squadron (3 airplanes active). The Air Transport Group (GTA) operates aircraft of the CASA, DHC-6, and Beechcraft types. The Helicopter air group (HLG) has a SAR squadron, a utility squadron, and a squadron of attack craft, and is equipped with ex-Taiwanese UH-1H and Brazilian HB-350B aircraft. The Air Group Instruction (AFI) has materials and T-25 and T-35 aircraft. Photogrammetric called air group (GAF) and group aviation maintenance section (SEMAER) do not have aircraft assigned. The Parachute Brigade operates CASA aircraft. Paraguayan Helicopters constantly flew the skies of Asuncion during the visit of Pope Francis in July 2015.

Besides these groups is a command of Institutes of Education and one of regions air, this latter has nominal jurisdiction over 12 tracks and airports as six of these are considered Air Bases.^[9]

Per Arasunu (December 2021-No. XVI), the magazine of the PAF, the current organizational structure:

- Comandante Interino de la Fuerza Aerea Paraguaya (CC-Gral Div Aer) -- Jefe del Estado Mayor General de la Fuerza Aerea Paraguaya (CV-Gral Div Aer) --- Comandante de la Brigada Aerea (Gral Brig Aer) --- Comandante del Comando de Regiones Aereas (Gral Brig Aer) --- Comandante Interino de la Brigada Aerotransportada "SP" (CNEL DCEM) --- Comandante Interino del Comando de Instituteos Aeronauticos de Ensenanza (CNEL DCEM) --- Comandante Interino de la Brigada Logistica (CNEL DCEM)

The current PAF/CC is Arturo Javier Gonzalez Ocampo. The PAF/CV is Ruben Dario Piris Fernandez.

Order of battle

• 1º Brigada Aérea (Air Brigade; Asunción/Base Aérea Ñu Guazú)
  • Grupo Aerotáctico (Air Tactical Group; Asunción/Base Aérea Pettirossi)
  • 1º Escuadrón de Caza 'Guaraní' (Escuadrilla 'Orion' y 'Centauro'), no longer active
  • 2º Escuadrón de Caza 'Indios' (Escuadrilla 'Taurus' y 'Scorpio'), no longer active
  • 3º Escuadrón de Reconocimiento y Ataque 'Moros' (Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron; Escuadrilla 'Gamma' y 'Omega'): EMB-312
  • Grupo Aéreo de Instrucción (Instrucción Air Group) 'Escuadrón Fenix': T-25A
  • Escuadrilla 'Antares' / 'Pantera' / 'Halcón': T-35A/B

Military ranks

Commanders

See also

• Francisco López Military Academy
• List of wars involving Paraguay

References

Bibliography

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). "The Military Balance 2012". The Military Balance: Annual Estimates of the Nature and Size of the Military Forces of the Principal Powers. London: IISS.
  ISSN 0459-7222
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• Ehlers, Hartmut (2004). "The Paraguayan Navy: Past and Present". Warship International. XLI (1): 79–97.
  ISSN 0043-0374
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• Ehlers, Hartmut (2004). "The Paraguayan Navy: Past and Present, Part II". Warship International. XLI (2): 173–206.
  ISSN 0043-0374
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• Ehlers, Hartmut (2007). "The Paraguayan Navy: Past and Present, Part III". Warship International. XLIV (2): 183–214.
  ISSN 0043-0374
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• Joint Services Recognition Journal. London: Ministry of Defence. 1976.
• Rauch, Georg von (n.d.). "The Green Hell Air War". Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 207–213.
  ISSN 0143-5450
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• Sapienza, Antonio Luis (May 2001). "L'aviation militare paraguayenne durant la seconde guerre mondiale" [Paraguayan Military Aviation During the Second World War]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (98): 30–33.
  ISSN 1243-8650
  .

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