Guatemala Navy / Fuerzas de Mar - History
On January 15, 1959, the Presidential Agreement was signed, through which the National Merchant Navy and the National Defense Navy were created. This was the first Naval Base in the port of Santo Tomás de Castilla. On the 25 of October of 1959 was created by Government Agreement Naval School, graduating the first promotion 10 of December of 1960.
The afloat units that started the National Defense Navy since that memorable January 15, 1959, were three whaling-type wooden boats of fifty feet in length and center engine, were baptized with the names of: RETALHUALEU, MAZATENANGO AND SCHUINTLA, in honor of those departments of the country. From November of 1960 began the incorporation of units of surface of different dimensions and capacities to the Naval Base of the Atlantic. On August 1, 1964, marines were created with the mission of providing protection to ships and naval installations, as well as projecting naval power to land.
During the month of November, 1961 two patrol boats, 28 feet long, initially assigned to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, soon afterwards went to the inventory of the Ministry of National Defense, being baptized with the names "XUCUXUY" and " CAMALOTE ", Together they established surveillance in the Sarstún, Dulce and Izabal Rivers. In July 1962, in the program of military assistance of the United States of North America, the Gabarra was transferred by the navy of that country called "YR-40" to the Navy of the National Defense filling one of the main requirements of support Logistics as is the maintenance of the units.
Within the same program of military assistance on April 10, 1963, two 40-foot-long patrol boats arrived at the Port of Santo Tomás de Castilla, aboard the Choluteca, which were named TIKAL and IXIMCHE and Now they spend their time decorating the gates of the naval commandos of the Caribbean and the Pacific.
In October of 1964, a wooden boat of 63 feet of length used for the rescue of pilots in the sea arrives, this one was baptized with the name of "Cabracán" being artillado and transformed into a patrol boat, which served as model for the Reconstruction in Guatemala of a similar one, which was baptized as "Hunahpú" On November 6, 1965, with the purpose of equipping the existing Marine Infantry Company with a vessel that will transport them to the beach and facilitate landing as well as the need to have a purely military vessel for the transport of vehicles.
The Ministry of National Defense, through the Military Procurement System (FMS) Acquired a 56-foot barge of steel hull, type LCM-6B, rebuilt, naming it "Chimaltenango", which was armed in Guatemala with two .30-inch caliber machine guns. This barge transports the tractors of the Engineers Battalion Of the Army from Puerto Barrio, through the Bay of Amatique and Sarstún River, to Modesto Méndez, where they were landed to be used in the construction of roads in the department of El Petén. The 15 November 1967, the name of Navy of the National Defense is changed to Navy. In December of the same year, under the Military Assistance Plan, Guatemala acquired an 85-foot-long aluminum helm patrol boat named "Utatlán".
In December 1971 three patrol boats built in the United States of America, with an aluminum hull and 65 feet in length, named "Tecun Umán", "Kaibil Balam" and "Azumanché" arrived in the Port of Santo Tomás de Castilla, Being later transferred to the Pacific Ocean for the creation of a Naval Base. In October of 1972, the last Patrolman was received inside the Military Assistance Plan, twin ship of the "Utatlán", and constructed by the same artillerymen of Seward Seacraft in New Orleans, that was baptized with the name is "Osorio Saravia". In the year 1973 the navy manages to acquire a marine elevator which was provided to this command through the Ministry of National Defense.
On March 25, 1972, the Pacific Naval Base was created in Sipacate, La Gomera, Escuintla, and assigned three rapid patrol boats, which began surveillance operations of the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of the Pacific Ocean.
In 1976, two 65-foot-long aluminum helm patrol vessels were purchased, named "Tzacol" and "Bitol", an aluminum-hulled patrol boat and 105 feet in length baptized with the Named "Kukulkan" and two fast-hulled aluminum hulls with hydro-jet engines for personnel transports, which were dubbed "Barracuda" and "Picuda".
On June 15, 1978, the naval station was installed on Lake Güija, bordering El Salvador, with the mission of guaranteeing national sovereignty and contributing to the exercise of maritime authority.
On October 1, 1982, the shipyard of Lake Atitlán was installed, with the purpose of exercising control over the lake vessels. On March 25, 1983 the Pacific Naval Base was transferred to Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, reassigning surface units. On April 1, 1984, the Naval Fluvial de Pipiles was created, at the confluence of the Pasion, Salinas and Usumacinta rivers, in the department of El Petén, with the mission of exercising river control and guaranteeing national sovereignty in rivers Boundaries.
Under the command of Captain Francisco Torres Cheguen in early 1983, its strength was estimated at 960, which included 660 marines. The size of the marine contingent had approximately doubled during the early 1980s, probably for counterinsurgency purposes, although commitment of marines to the antiguerrilla war had not been publicized. Naval bases were located at Santo Tomas de Castilla near Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean Sea and at San Jose on the Pacific coast in the department of Escuintla.
The newest ship in the navy in 1983 was a hydrographic vessel, built by Halter Marine Services of Louisiana and commissioned in 1981. Other craft included one Broadsword-class coastal patrol craft built by Halter Marine in 1976; five Cutlass-class coastal patrol craft also from Halter Marine, three built in 1971 and two in 1976; two patrol boats (the Utatldn, commissioned in 1967 and the Osorio Saravia, commissioned in 1972) built for Guatemala by Sewart Seacraft of Louisiana and delivered under the provisions of the United States Military Assistance Program (MAP); one older coastal boat, the Hunahpii, built for the United States Coast Guard in 1942 and transferred to the Guatemalan Navy in 1965; two other ex-United States Coast Guard utility craft; two small troop carriers for marines built by Halter Marine and commissioned in 1976; and one ex-United States Navy landing craft acquired by Guatemala in 1966.
The Broadsword-class boat carried five officers and 15 crewmen and mounted two 75mm recoilless rifles, four 50-caliber machine guns, and two 20mm antiaircraft guns. The smaller Cutlass craft carried one officer and six crewmen and mounted one 75mm recoilless rifle, one 20mm antiaircraft gun, and two 50-caliber machine guns.
The 22 of April of 1985 by Government Agreement 323-85 the naval police is created to provide police services in the internal waters of the Republic, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, port facilities or those that depend in its operation of the operation or Use of aquatic resources; As well as on vessels or vessels in their national waters.
In 1990 the armament of the surface units changed. In the years 1994 to 1996, all surface units of the National Defense Navy were rebuilt in New Orleans, United States.
On October 25, 1995, the Naval School was reopened by moving its headquarters to Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla and extending its scope to national level in the naval, merchant, fishing and port areas.
On March 18, 2004, the Maritime Department of the Ministry of National Defense was created to administer the maritime competencies corresponding to the functions of flagging, port and river commander, in order to contribute to increase the safety of navigation and to prevent Pollution of the seas.
On July 1, 2004, by Government Agreement No. 223-2004 was created the Command of the Navy of National Defense, to exercise command and control of the Navy of National Defense, becoming dependent on it the Naval Command of the Caribbean, Naval Command Pacific and Naval School of Guatemala.
On March 17, 2008, the Naval Special Force was created with headquarters in Puerto Quetzal, with the mission of carrying out maritime interdiction operations.
On December 28, 2010, the General Directorate for Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of National Defense was created as a specialized unit responsible for carrying out the functions of flag state, port state and coastal state in order to contribute to Increase maritime safety and security, navigation efficiency and prevent pollution.
On April 23, 2012, the Vice-Ministry of the Navy of the National Defense was created by a vice-admiral officer, with the purpose of articulating the state's policy for the strengthening of national maritime power, becoming the administrative body responsible for the exercise of The maritime competencies to be carried out by the state of Guatemala.
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