NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SURVEY 87; ECUADOR; ARMED FORCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NIS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110025-6
• Release Decision: RIF
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 30
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2016
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: REPORTS

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SECRET
871 GSlAF
e
1
i
I
Ecuador
J uiy 1973
r
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SURVEY
P
SECRET
NO PUREIGN DISSEM
3-211
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3_
WARNING
The NIS is National Intelligence and may not be re-
leased or shown to representatives of any foreign govern
ment or international body except by specific outhorizatiot,
of the Director of Central IntePigence in accordance with
the provisions of National Security Council Intelligence Di-
rective No. 1.
For NIS containing unclassified material, however, the
portions so marked may be made available for official pur-
poses to foreign nationals and nongoverrment personnel
provided no attribution is made to National Intelligence or
the National Intelligence Survey.
Subsections and prop hits are individually classified
according to content. Classificotion /control designo-
tions are:
(U/ OU) Unclassified /For Official Us Only
(C) Confidential
(S) Secret
.r
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ECUADOR
CONTENTS
Tits, chanter sunersedea Ac armed /orres coverage
to the Gotteral 5arvey dated September 1968.
A. Defense establishment 1
1. Military history 4
2. Command structure 4
E. joint activities 7
1. Military manpower and morale 7
2. Strength trends 8
3. Training S
4. Military budget 9
5. Economic support and logistics 10
SecHas No Foaescrt Mssrm
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C. Army
1. Organization
2. Strength, compnsition, and disposition
3. Training
4. Logistics
5. Army aviation
D. Navy
1. Organization
2. Strength, comlosition, and disposition
Page
10 3. Training
12 4. Logistics
12 5, Marine corps
13 6. Naval air arm
15 E. Air force
16
1. Organization
16 2. Strength, composition, and disposition
17 3. Training
19 4. Logistics
FIGURES
Pa ge
Fig. 1 National defense organization (chart) 6
Fig. 2 Armed forces strength trends table) 8
Fig. 3 Army organization chart) 11
Fig 4 French A \1X -13 light tank photo) 13
Fig, 5 New Panhard ANIL -243 annored
cars photo) 1:4
Fig. 0 Army conscript receiving land title
photo) 15
31
Fig. 7
Navy organizltion (chart)
Fig. S
Navy flagship 25 de Julio photo
Fig. 9
Air force organization (chart)
Fig, 10
Air force EAC lf'7 Strikemaster air-
craft (photo)
Fife. 11
FR -9 Mcteor aircraft (photo)
Page
20
21
21
21
9
22
23
25
25
Page
18
20
22
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Z
Armed 'forces
A. Defense establishment
The Ecuadorean Anned Forces. ,Ove total 21,813
men, rank ronsidenih1% ixlow those of the adjaeent
cmuntries of C:tilombia and Perm in size, equipment.
and general effectiveness. 'rite 17,000 -man army is
primarily a lightly armed forcr having 69 light tank.,
38 other armored vehicles, and 52 howitzers (65
to l0i mm). The navy, which has 3, HR) rncn,
including :380 marines, ba sys its strength on seven
combat ships and 10 patrol craft, including three West
German built fast patrol boats. The Air force h as 1.665
men and 91 aircraft. Of These, 32 are combat aircraft,
among which are 28 jets. In times of emergency, the
7,050 -roan National Civil Police, normally under the
Minister of Government and Police, comes under the
control of the Minister of National Defense, and the
9-Wman Customs Police, normally under the M mister
of Fiuunce, comes under t vn of the Army
Commander. (5)
The mission of these forces, as stated in the 1945
Constitution. is to "preserve the national sovereignty,
defend the integrity and independence of the
R mud guarantee [tic execution of the articles
in the C onstitutinu and the laws." Although the
armed l owt are relatively Ion� in effectiveness
compam.l with Similar units in the armed forces of
neighh.,ring countries, officer training is excellent, and
,.misted peruiunel are well disciplined and inured to
hardship. The major problems ure that alx half the
perumnel are I- ycaratnscript,, much of the materiel is
old and poorly maintained. ille logistics system is poor,
and the country is dependent upon foreign souTm for
materiel, including amnunlition. Moreover, during
'...'':.iSae-.�sT �n:
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Air force S-55 Sikorsky helicopter

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1960 -61 and 1970-72, tumor capable senior military
officers were retired by President Velasco ltaarra, and
this practice has crippled the military leadcrmhip and
thus the effectiveness of the armed form, During
1970-72 alouc he retired over Wit of trite army
colonels, filling key mililary posts with officers chosen
for personal 'm alty.,to hits regardless of their skill or
effectiveness. Armed forces capabilities are farther
hindered by a chrolde shortage of funds that h:r;
prevented any major purchases of new equipmetll
since World War 11. The- government renewed its
efforts to update and nlotderrlive the armed forces
through equipment ptireli scs iri 11:170 and 1971,
however. Anticipated oil revenues also should allow a
major ntoderrtii, tion of the materiel inventory. (C)
Ecteador's di;saiisfactiou over a hoaudary
settlement with Peru is cYrnsidered to be the ollly
potential source of arined confliel with a neighboring
country. I lislorically, fear of au invasion by superior
Peruvian forces has L'aElse [l ;euador to keep three of its
six brigade's at the so utherir zone of tile cotatiry
]n internal security, the armed forces area effective in
controlling urban disorders and in olicrations against
smalI guerrilla bands, although they would be
ineffective if Confronted with the unlikelyclinting ellcy
of widespread guerrilla action. They became
particularly aware of the importance of training for
internal secarit+ ati a result of the uilian disorders
beginning in 19-39 in cYEnnecti'on with the Inter-
American Conference panned for Quito. Sinn: that
lime, tire. armed forces have devoted considerable
attention to iutemal security, particularly in urban
areas. The arloy is more effective th:111 the lxilive in
controlling urhan dis6rde:rs and fretitiently is given this
resimnsibility when there :ire serious problems. it has
rtxveived training and erperiencx� in riot control and is
very alert to d4-vc* Io,:ing urban threats, 'rite navy, also,
is oce:asiorially involved and has created a mariner
hattidion for internal security, especially at
Couvitquil. The army has 'devoted attention to the
threat of guerrilla insurgency, creating foul special
securih' detachnien!s of ;llxtul 42 to oleos each,
deployed at atrutegic hicutions Ili the interior for quick
use against rural insurgents anti against s:tkxoteun in
th important petnticum.arcas of the Oriente region in
t c neirtlicast: In.adrlitiun; the urmy Ilas a 3Wrnan
rapid reaction forec'availulslc for- trerislxort by the air
force to vontrad security crises develapitig anvivIiere in
the ct untrv:' These ,forces have Ewen suecec+fnl I
crmtrolling few, insurgclil attcrnpts that have lotto
made but those movements have hcei I i weak used bare
been unaltle .to gr in the support aF the rural
ixopulatIon, wldch As _relativcly," suspicioil of: all
.2
oulsiders. There has 'been no a live rural insurgency
since 1962, bnl the rnilitary (.10110 lilies to give
Considerable attention to the 1xite.ntial thteal..(G)
As 1xlrt of its cimevrn with iulcrna laccti;t}' and :ES u
c'tmtributiin to national development. the arnwd
forces devote- Imnsiderable effort toward civic action.
Major army projects inciudv-' madbuilding into the
interior by the army s two engineer lxittalions,
conlrrnrnity development pmjecls the
army's two civic acliort ltaltalious, iul the training of
sonic 400 conscript personnel per year in agricuklur4
and frontier settlement undt;r tire. Itrcigrarn. of the
ariov's milital'y Agrarian 'Training [rage. The navy
uses its floating repair shop to perform ini:ror machine
wort:. welding. ciectriorki repair, and other smims in
small cons lil towels that lack sholsifaciiities. it controls
Tremsportcs Navierms lsctuilvrianos ('THANSNAVr),
organized in early 1972 kinder a Septeinber 1971
decree.:uid, through that ccrrnpany, rnaliages a new
mixed capital shipping; company established 14
September 1972 -11c l7ota Petrigera l t teuturiurru
(F LOPEC). FLOI'ls'C is to transport half of tits
petroleum brought by pipeline front e astern Eellad'tr
to tim Pacific. 'rite rtatiy is to provide officers to
Cc>rrurt:uul the shills owned or leased by FLOPEC. The
air force for many years has operatcKl etod Staffed a
domestic cominercH airline, Transport" Acrem
Militares Ecuatorionos (TAV1 providing service to
remote areas not profitable for, or serve by regular
commerical airlines. It al,%o supervises an intcnlatiolial
comincroal airline, Compania Ecuatoriuna tie;
Aviocion, acquired by the goveriirticnt in August
1972; Iwth airlines have been niergvd in the single
(mixed Capital Aviation Conlpmry of Ecuador, 525e of
whose shares are owned by the government tllntugh
TAM E. 11olh they navy and air farce provide medical
resent and medical service to outlying Areas that
would otherwise not rec'cive any medical care. 'rite
training of tiiilitary regular and vooscript perseannel
alms assures the existence of a stational txxtl of
technically qualified personnel, Wilt), opm iele.�asc
front military service, collitribute inte ileotiAly and
econoniically to. 1 national development. (C)
Ecuador is a member of [lie Organization of
American :States .anif of the Inter= Atliehmirt Defeitt
Iiiruel" which .plans for ;tlie joint defense of the
Western I It is a signatory pf the Inter-
American Treaty of Reciproce.d Assistance (Bit) Treaty)
of 1917, under munch it assumes tilt' obligation to
support other American states threatened by
aggression. In :19 1, Ecuador" signets the ,Caraca's
ftcsoltttion,:. Hltich: dcclarcd that `tlic domination or
contwiA of iin American state by tile interriational
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fit?
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Co llinlllnst nlovelliellt Constitutes a threat to the
loilitar� reserve sysle.n ill 1971 -77, three Colotnbi ;Ills
hemisphere alldmiloires hater- Amerium cousllltatiorl.
(two oil 19 70-71 and an additional officer ill IJ72)
k 4
The armed forces havc displayed al willillgiless to
giving trainhilg ill canine corps and military police
supptlrt these agreements, Until 1972. the military
tevimiques. two limp %iliall officers advising the
collsislenlll'si {led will' tile U.S. position on. Cuba. For
111slitnte of Advanced National Studies (slnve 197 2).
example, lit 1962 the military leaders forced leftist
two Chilean officers advising the Army Advanced
Ptbsidclit Curlos Julio Arosemena to break diplomatic
School (since 1973), and a F&rich officer advishkg the
relaliolis with the 0 1batl Goverillllent. Ulxtn cotlt11bg
amity on the m;tintemmee of its new French tanks and
to 1XI'ver .ill 196 the military junta outlawed the
vehicle-, (1972 -73). The United States supplied
Colm omisl hlTtw Will arreSted many leftists, To
sigoflficant amounts of assistance almost all as grant
preclude rank- .Ind -file suppx>'rt of colmilllnism alllti-
aid, surf contribulev.l toward ilnprovcmellt ill the
Cotnrrl.lillist doctrine has been hide led in Ifle initial
organization. training, and equipment elf the armed
V
training of all nev personnel since the mid- I9.Ws. In
forces. (S)
laid 1972, the utililary government voted in the UAS
lit September 1969, Ecuador deuounced the 1952
ill favor of the Peruvian- sl resolution which
mutl.:11 defeltse assisiarice agreement, slid the navy,
would h=ave permitted each Ilu[ian to establish
army, and air forge mission agreements of 19.10, 19.14,
relations with Cuba if it so desired. Eviiadors vole,
and 1940, reslx,clively. and lcsked for a single
however. was motivated by its desire to maintain a
agreetilcot to replace them. Friction hud existed sine-,
revolutionary, linage' for inlenwl lxllilicuY eYlusidcr :e-
[lie 19a0's over Ecuadorean seizures of U.S. puns lxnits
lions rather than by its desire to renew relaliam with
fishing inside F.cuaid or s claimed 24111 -mile territorial
Culxt. Exuador supporls international arms control
waters. The limblein asskime:d critical proportions
agmenients and has ratified the uucicar itrinprolifera-
begintii ig ill mid January 1971, when Ecuador began
tion lrealy. (S)
to seize and injimse sizable fine -.ou imprecedcntedly
Foreign millilary missions have exercised ;let
large plumbers of U.S. tuna boats. The first of 51
imptalant influence on the EXisadorean forces. The
Fcoadurcim seizure's during It)71 occurred tin I1
first foreign tlffil rs who assisted ill training the
January. There were only two seizures in IWO, )xltil ill
E Army curer frown France ill th e 1890's. A
Februart Oil 12 January 1971 :ill anlemin to) t he
Cl.ilcan military training mission served in Iknililor
U.S. Foreign lti1ilitary Sales (I'MS) Acl waseilacted. It
from 1899 unlit W orld War 1, french a t d vlsers. serve
direct the suspe of FNIS-tran t a ny
with the airforce Aviation Se hool until 1922, and all
c'tlllntrl seizing a U.S. fishing boat beyond 12 mile$.
Ita l ian military mission Served fmm 1922 unt (lie
from its toasts. Tile.' Smix 'iisioll was to remaill in effect
beginiliug 0CW0rld War H. Sitic% that tinge, the
For 1'2 inunths from the date of [lie last seizure unless
Ultit0d States hus exercised the -predominuul
wuived b th U.S. President., kcuadir seize two
influence. As a result of a 1910 agreemelit, a.U.S.
Iklats, one ou 15 Jariuilryand'one mi 17 Jarmury, and
naval mud a military aviation mission served ill
ime IS January 1971 the U; 5: suspended niiiilary sales
Ecuador after early 1941. Undcr a 1942 agreement,
tai Ecuador. The Fcuutlorean Co�ernmeitt .:actcd liv
[lie Uriketl States established air !rises oil the
reiltiesting the withdrawal of the. U.S. MilitarvCrotlp,
Galapagos Islands SAin mi the mainland for
which amw was iilactivated on 5
protection of (lie Panama Ca nal. lit 1944 a U. S.
S[ IICC` th t Cf mi li ution o U.S. rnilit ,..Iles a I td
military lllissi6n, w as: assigned to Ecuador, and small
irlterruption iIF. U.S: training pnigrams, U .S. it lllilellCe
a of U.S. rnilitam inqu provided
him deA rlecl. E cuador had re l i Cd .la rg e l y on the U ;S.
un Loid- Leus a r id, l ater, under other aid
for rniiterie ,ealtholagh ill 1970 It pu rc ch as e d US-$1.,5
programs Etuadcir was' the. first L.aiin 'American
'million of. iilateriel from third. countries. With the
Country to sigi the Military `-Assistance Pmgriinl_
suspension of U.S.: stiles,' Ecuador again is acquiring
ring
or1.2- Fehruaq 1952.- This agreement
items frJ v third awntrics [a.replacY its delerioraiting
provided the basis for the `cnnlumiug iikduntry
U.S inventory. fntlude transport and
preseilce,;of tllc U S :A :rev, :Nuvv,'Arid A
fighter aircraft from the United. Kingdom; tanks
missions ind for: militury assistdtice to the coolntrv.
rmored. cars, and'hclkitpfers frown France; munitions
The c were the :ori training``rnpssions cxcrpt 'fora
froiil .IklpGium slid three: fast putml lit;tts` fro 11 :11'csl
n uilwrof small training twills from other ernantrics
CC'r_many.% :TlIe Soviet Unitin: reportedly tried to sell
a smuil Chileain mission `'lit; the Army` Watr College:_'
'materiel to Ecuiidor irr Fehruurv-Mvrelr 1.971, but_the
during 1956 -fit; an Israelp adviser Seri` agriculturlll
in ilptarj did not uccept the offer. a o3[1 October 1972:
trciining fnim the catty l9ws, an Isrricli iit#vlser_nrt the
the iiclvicts: retxirletlly crfferr'ti.;.Ecuadctr' substantial
fit?
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grant military aid, but this offer, if, still outstanding,
also probably will be rejected. (S)
Ecuador has partiepated regularlylin UNITAS, the
arnnual combined U.S. -Latin American naval
exercises, but largely because of the dispute with the
United States over offshore fishing rights, the
Ecuadorean Government in 1971, 1972, and 1973
decided against particpation. (S)
I. Military history (S)
The Ecuadorean Army and Navy grew out of the
forces that fought for independence from Spain during
1809 -22. Subsequently they formed part of [l ie forces
of Gran Colombia until Ecuador gained its
independence from that entity in 1830. A military
academy was first established in 18M but was later
closed. (The present milita academy was founded in-
1899 by Cloy Alfaro, considered by Ecuador to.be its
greatest military leader.) The Naval Academy was
established in Guayaquil in 1.553, and the Air Force
Aviation School was created' in 1921. Generally the
military forces have performed, poorly in war_ They
were involved in a number of indecisive clashes with
the forces of Colombia and Peru during 1845 -60,
primarily Over border disputes. The only full -scale
military confrontation in the 201h century was with
Peru over a boundary demarcation. After a number of
border clashes, Pciu invaded Ecuador and inflicted a
humiliating acfeat in July 1941 on the ve.-y inferior
Ecuadiircan forces. Ironically, Ecuador's chief
military glory also stems from that war, when, in the
naval Battle of Jambeli, an Ecuadorean gunboat, the
Abdon Calderon, or 26 July 1941 fought and crippled
the much larger Peruvian destroyer Almirante Villar.
As a result of the war,.Ecuador was forced to concede
to Peru nearly half the tenritory to, which it has laid
claim since independence, losing its direct access to
the Amazon River.
The urrrted forces occasionally intervened in the
government during turbulent political periods in the
19th and early 20th centuries, b ut they gene rally have
sought to avoid such action. The 192fi lL awof Military
Status and Promotions for Officers, designed to free
the `armed forces fmm political pressures, encouraged
the .military to become more professionally oriented.
However,* 'military" men occasionally have felt
.compelled to intervene in. :governmental affairs
because of their responsibility to "guarantee the
execution of the articles in the Constitution." On 28
May 1944,. the military ousted President Carlos Arroyo
del Rio, for rigging his successor's election and allowed
the installation of Jose Maria Velasco lWrra the most
Popular contender, who had been excluded from the
.election. On 24 August 1947, the military ousted
Velasco lbarra but relinquished power to civilian rule
within a month. In succecding years, military men
several' times took decisive action to forestall
threatened coups. In 1961 the }'.unsuccessfully tried to
forestall a Congressional coup, -mu ncuvered by
ultraleftist Vice President Carlos Julio Arosemena, that
ousted President Velasco Ibarra from his fourth term
and permitted Arosemena to become President. 1he
military leaders endured his adical policies 'and
disgraceful public behavior until 1963, when ;)is
toleration of a threat of developing Communist
guerrilla w and terrorism, together uith the
c haotic dom{.'iiticsituation, forced their interrintion. A
military junta.govcmed for a ycaii and attempted to
institute administrative rued fiscal reforms, enacting an
agrarian rc`form law,' improving the investment
climate, and preparing- a lo6g -range rlGvelopment
program. Despite 'their good intentions few actual
reforms were accomplished, when the junta sought to
collect higher business taxes to compensate for a
failing economy, business interests refused. Political
opposition leaders, labor leaders, radical students, and
businessmen united to force [lie junta from office.
From 1966 to 1972, tho military remained in the
background, although in 1.970 they encouraged again
President Velasco lbarra to assume dictatorial powers
when Congressional intransigence paralyzed govern-
ment .operations. However, when Velasco seemed
unable to prevent radical leftist Assiid Bucarvrn, the
most popular contender from running in the mid
1972 .election, the military ousted Velasco on 15
February 1972. The new government of, Gen.
Guillermo Rodriguez Lura has espoused a policy of
economic development, elimination of corruption,
and social improvements. It established the institute
of Advanced National Studies to assist in the planning
and formulation of national policy. Military officers
now hold most of the high administrative positions in
the, national and provincial governments and the
presidencies of two mixed capital corporations.
2. Command structure (C)
The President of the Republic, by the 1945
Constitution, is the Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces and is responsible for public order. and
the external security of the nation He is supported by
two committees ---the National Security Council and
the National Defense Board (Figure 1)_ The ai-rrry.is
the largest a most influential i f the thice services,
and army officers. hold the largest number of
important: govemrent positions,
4
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r
ro
to
dvit-
Ti le National Security Council advises the President
on external and internal security and plans and
coordinates security measures throughout the
government.-It is headed by the President, has the
Minister of National Defense us Vice President of the
Council, and also includes all other Cabinet ministers,
tlae three service commanders as members of the Joint
Command of the Armed Forces, [lie President of the
Economic Planning and Coordination Board, the
President of the Foreign Trade and Integration
Institute, and the President of the Monetary Board.
The Secretary Ceneral of the National Security
Council, u senior military officer, ,advises the President
on security affairs. The Secretariat Ceneral includes
four functional divisions, for planning and
coordination. The National Security Council also
supervises the senior national agencies concerned with
intelligence, mobilization (tin be activated), and civi)
defense (to be activated), as well as the Institute of
Advanced National Studies. The council originally
was created by the military junta thatgovemed during
1963.66. It was fairly active during that period, but
seldom met thereafter and had little influence during
President Velasco lbarra's 1968 -72 term. It is now
active ugain.
The National Defense Board administers the
nonbudgetary Special Accounts of 'the defense
establishment. The board consists of the Minister of
National Defense, the Minister of Government and
Police, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a representative
of the Consultative Staff of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Minister of Finance, the Assistant
Comptroller General, the General Manager of the
Central Bank, the President of the Supreme Court, a
delegate from the Office of-the Cardinal, the members
of the Joint Command of the Armes! Forces, and [lie
Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces.
When the military assumed power in February
1972, a Council of Government' consisting of one
representative from each of the three services. was
formed.. This council, responsible for advising
tike President on legislation and for investigating cases
of govemmental graft, wus phased out the following:
Novembci and replaced by a legislative commission of
five civilian lawyers.
The exercises control _over the _military
establishment through the Minister. of Notional
Defense: The,. minister normally is a civilian taut:
presently is a retired army general:.. The.%b:secretary
National Defense, who assists the Minister of Notional
Defense, is traditionally a military officer. The
minister and subsecretary have a small vxeculive staff
of five departments and rely on the armed forces Joint
Staff f6f most staff support. The minister directs the
armed forces through the Joint Command of the
Armen Forces. He also chairs the National Council of
Merchant. Marine and Ports, established in September
1970 as the highest level advisory body on policy
matters concerning ports,
The Joint Command of the Armed Forces is a
co rporate bod consisting of t he three service
commanders. The service commander who is senior in
rank is designated as Chief of the Joint Command, a
largely honorary position, which includes membership
an tlae foreign Relations Consultative Board (advisory
body to the President) and on the Directorate of the
Ecuadorean State Petroleum Corporation. The Chief
of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces
theoretically exercises command over the three services
but, in actuality, has no authority over the individual
service commanders. The Joint Command was
established in May 1971 to replace the overall
command position of the Chief of the Armed Forces
Cen.eral' Staff. The Joint Command of the Armed
Forces aW tine President, the Minister of National
Defense, am) the National Security Council on
security matters, coordinates joint military operations,
and reviews the plans and programs of the three
services, including their budget submissions. It also
supervises the security forces assigned to protect high
government officials.in Quito. The. Joint Command is
supported' by -the Joint Staff and through that body,
exercises (command over the Point- service Military
MedicaT: (The Armed Forces Military
Hospital; at Quito, however, is un the command of
the logistics Department (D -1V) of the Army General
Staff:) 'Cher .Joint staff always: has been_ somewhat
ineffective because of a lack of training, funds,. and
interest but the military government that came to
power,in February, 1972 has shown greater interest in
the stuff and, reportedly plans to increase its
icsponsibilities; The joint, Staff is headed bythe Chief
cif the Joint'" Staff; and consists of `four .numbered
directorates and. three other sections.
The.individual service rommandcrs exercise: the rear
command uu* diotity' for their respective se .es and
have considerable _autonomy: in internal service
matters. Howover. ;President Rodriguez,' an army
brigadier:genaial .who. has.rcmained: in active duty
status, plays a fairly ,active role in all' important
military matters,.particulady in the .army.
a.
kii' S11bd 'hWkk'iY(Afl'L1':Yk iverrinlental pcis'ttions since the
liberal. exenapltion iolicy. A'p -mou is exenipt if lie is an
15 FArtiury 1972 Military. con have 'dense(
only soli, is enrolled iti a higher cd oic ationai
ap>iplicuIions for early retiremeit to incmusc d I
instiltrtinn* or is the major 5txppcticr of his Family.
in the navy, .verse officer co 4s is already depfcicd by
Conscripts purticipalting ill the Ecuadorean Militury
A
u,, high r att riti ot i ra te. The Army. and air farce off cer
inust' fill gnirmnaent lint
Agrariian Conscription progr in for I year rec'Cive a
vorpx also positions, the
document- tVcrtifyi:ly, fulfillment of the ntilit service
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obligation. To he exempt, students culled by the draft
are required to prove their enrollment in an
educational institution and, thereafter, to demonstrate
.regular attendance in piemilitary courses if these are
offered by their schools. Students enrolled under a
premilitary trn:ning program attend it half day of
military classo each Saturday. moming during their
final year of high school and continue this training in
[lie university. The course culminates in two month
sessions of intensive Ironing with it rc;ular army unit
at the end of the 3d and 4th years ioi,s warfare capability. *ith its'smdll
marine battalion, Although it has some ships equipped
with the necessary weapons and sbnur for suoce sf al
antisubmarine warfare (A5W) operations, training is
so infrequent that overall ASWreapahility is Very boor:
The navy is capable of cpntcolling ltlr country's
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fisheries and lite port facilities_ It lacks training,
equipment, and persmtnel to perform adequate
coastal surveillance and intercept operations under
combat oxnditions. Major pmblerms include the small
size of the service; old equiprnestl. carious officer
shudagrs :is a result of the requirement for navy
officers to share the burden of government
administration; frequent reassiguntents of key
personnel: inadequate training afloat; shortages of
[land weapoiis and ship arrtament and equipment;
dependence upon foreign sources for supply,
particularly ships and weapons; and Inadequate
maintenance rocedures. (C)
I. orpnization (C)
The Ecuadorean Navy is theoretically etx4lual to
the army and air force under the Joint Command of
the Arnted Forces, Tile naval forces are headed by the
Commander of the Navy (Figure 7), who has both
operational and administrative control over the forces
afloat and the shore establishment. Directty
str[xordinate to the commander is a Navy General Staff
of five numbered departments and five other staff
sections.
Command lines extend from the Commander of the
Navy, iu Quilo, to the Naval Squadron Commander,
the three Naval bone Commandants, the Cure mander
Of the marine corps (Naval Infantry Battalion), the
Director of Supply and Material, the Director of
Naval Personnel, the Commandant of lite Naval War
College, and the Director of Merchant Marine and of
lite littoral. The Commander of the Navy, through
the Director of Maritime Affairs, also supervises
TRANSNAVE (Transportes Navitrox Ecuatorianos-
Ecuadorean Naval 'Transport). The president of its
gov -ruing board, whip is also the Commander of the
First Naval lame and, in this capacity, reports to the
Commmunder of the Navy. Tile Naval Squadron is
based at Guayaquil, Ecuador's principal port and the
main navy base. The squadron includes the Destroyer
Division, a Mortar Torpedo Boat Division (formed in
1971), and an Auxiliaries Division. The First Naval
7aone, with headquarters in Guayaquil, encompasses
most of the navv's shore facilities, including the main
base, at Guayaquil; and two secondary [lasts, one at
Sam Lorenzo (on the Columbian losrdtr) and tlke other
at Salinas. Beginning In the fall of 1970, the navy
established si amall detachments at the coastal ports of
Manta, Esmeraldas, Ruenfuerte, and Puerto Bolivar.
I! reportedly has purrs far establishing at least two
Other detachments. The First Naval Zone also has a
POW Launch Division and an Auxiliaries Divisor.
The marine corps is husrd in the First Naval7aone. In
rnid -1972 the rrarioe corps was planning to station a
52 -man detachment at the oil port of Baiao, ,scar
Esmeraldas, to provide security for tine Texaco -Gulf
facilities. The Second Naval Zone, with headquarters
in San Cristobal, comprises the Galapagos Islands,
which are wholly administered by the navy It
includes the naval base at Sun Cristobal, a naval air
facility at Seymour, three naval detachments stationed
at Isabela, Santa Cruz, and Isla Santa Maria (also
known as Floreana island), and art auxiliaries division_
It serves primarily as a port control authority and has
no combat craft. The Third Naval 7Aone, established
by decree in May 1972, has its headquarters at Coca
(also known as Puerto de Orellana), in eastent
Ecuador. It reportedly has authority over all naval
activity on rivers within lite Ecuadorean lxlyders io they
oil -rich area cast of the Andes Mountains. It is not
known what vessels, if any, have been assigned to this
new vine.
The Directontte of Supply and Material, based at
Guayaquil, maintains the Navas Shipyard, the Supply
Center, the Combustibles and Ammunition Depot,
the Medical Center, and the Office of Reserve Ships,
The Directorate of Naval Personnel controls the Naval
Academy and the Recruit Training School, both at
Salinas; the Specialist School, split between Salin
and Guayaquil; and the Welfare Service, which looks
out fo the welfare of naval personnel. The Directorate
of Merchant Marine and of tike Littoral is respxnssible
for port captains and for registering ships in the
merchant marine. It also directs the Naval
Oceanographic Institute, in Gtiay;iquil. This institute,
created by decree in )uiv 1972, replaced the
Hydmgraphie and Meteorological Semite and has
]Wert given expanded responsibilities for oeensio-
graphic studies, Using the hydrographic -ship Orion, it
collects data for cltarts of the coast and harbors. It also
has begun a series of studies of the phyiical, chemical,
geological, and biological characteristics of the ocean.
TRANSNAVE is an independent body reporting
thrrltlgh the Director of Maritime Affairs to the
Commander of the Navy. Established in curly 1972, it
is under the directorship of a seven member board
whose president is the Commandant of Cite First Naval
Zone. Its primrw missions art to provide the
government with vvmrne rctial o cean transport
capability, including the transport of .half of Ecuador's
exporled oil and the provision of maritime
'transportation to the Galapagos Islands. In the latter
function, TRANSNAVE will supplement rite transport
service available to the Galapagos performed by one
auxiliary craft assigned to the Second Nava) Zone.
TRANSNAVE. thus, will enable the navy to earn extra
17
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in '0I?W and will give additional sea expericice t o
naval officers aid crews. zNavp cYmmoiications were
rated as good us recvntly 197n in a joitit exercise, bill
the eoqui pilluit has been poorly mainlainxi,
particularly since the navy lost its primary seiuree of
spatrc parts when U.S, military Inatcriel support wits
slsspelided ill January 1971.
SN'Orul phase of At proctaemenJt progrtrn whose goal is
a total of 12 PTF's. Tt craft, similar to the three
FI'F's provided by the I -r. l.tterrren %I'crff shipyard in
1971, relxirtedly will be armed with the MM -38
Isxoeel surface -to- surface: missile and are to be
delivered in 1976 -78. 111 Deceniber 1972 [lie. navy
reportedly wiltiested that tlk. United Kingdon).
I. ranee, {'1aly. unl West Cerrnamy Ile itsked to subiiit
ten itich,ditig prick salad av:i[ahihty, Oil either two
�100 6110- standardAon coastal submarines or two) :50-
100 -ton small sihmarines.
The Ekitadorean Navy has a total of 3,130
personnel, including a 580 -inau inarike battalion.
Thera arc 2-50 officers and 2,900 enllsled Incra (plus
123 nnidshipinen). of all the naval per'l onrtel, 4055'
g;cnerally are assigned afloat Nlost txrs