| Company type | Joint stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defence |
| Founded | 1925 (1925) |
| Founder | Juan Esperanza Salvador [es] |
| Defunct | 1994 (1994) |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Explosives,Electro-optical devices |
| 1,760 millionpeseta[1] (1978) | |
Number of employees | 223[2] (1991) |
Esperanza y Cia, SA (Ecia) was a defense equipment manufacturer based in the city ofMarkina-Xemein in province ofVizcaya,Basque Country,Spain. From its origins, Ecia had focused primarily on the design and manufacture ofmortars and their ammunition.
The arms factory, Esperanza y Cia SA (Ecia) was founded in 1925 by prominent businessmanJuan Esperanza Salvador [es] (1860–1951). Esperanza-Salvador was one of the co-founders ofAstra-Unceta y Cia SA. Ecia utilised the expertise which Esperanza-Salvador andJuan Pedro Unceta [es] had previously accumulated in Eibar and Gernika, later known as Astra-Unceta, through the signature "Esperanza and Unceta".[3][4]
Its first activity was the manufacture of guns, under patent from Alkartasuna Eibar, and then designed his ownsemi-automatic pistol (known as ECIA) and alight machine gun. The company moved toMarquina in 1933. During theCivil War, the company was controlled by the Basque Government, which moved the factory toDerio to move it away from the front and then toBilbao. After the war the company returned to Marquina. In the 1940s production capabilities reached new levels with the development of lines of infantry mortars and their ammunition, the products that the company would prosper on. During theSecond World War, Ecia would supply arms toGermany, though an attempt to supply arms toEgypt was rejected.[5]
In 1978, the company was the largest arms exporter in Spain, ahead of another Basque firm,Explosivos Alaveses [es]. At that time there were seven companies fromBasque Country among the top ten Spanish weapons manufacturers.[1]
In 1980, a convoy carrying military company material was attacked by a command of the separatist organizationETA, and the six civil guards who were escorting him were killed in theattack.[6] In 1985 ETA also murdered José Martínez Parens, then the head of security for the company.[7]
The arms industry entered a deep crisis in the 1980s, due to a decline in domestic and foreign demand. Under the new name, Esperanza y Cia Explosives, entered into partnership withUnión Explosivos Río Tinto, which grew up to 40% of the shares, and managed to survive through projects like theEuromortar.[8]
In January 1986, it was alleged that the company had been provided military technology byIsraeli companies, which Ecia denied.[9] Ecia reputedly usedloyalistprisoners of war from theSpanish Civil War asslave labour.[citation needed] Its reputation also suffered from the connection with the sale of arms to war-torn countries likeIraq orIran, and even for the terrorist attacks suffered by their stocks and managers.[citation needed]
It did not help the situation of its main shareholder, ERT, which declared bankruptcy in 1992, as Esperanza Y Cia. closed its main plant in Markina in 1994. A small part of its research units were integrated intoAlaveses Explosives-Expal [es], which would also cease to operate in 2004.[10] Another 20 workers founded Ecia-Xemein inMarkina in June 1995 to manufacture metal parts.[11]
In the late 1920s, Ecia manufactured prototypes of a double-action pistol and a machine-gun. An ECIA Model 1927 machine gun, with a rate of fire of 180 rounds per minute, was displayed at the Expedition of War Material taken from the Enemy inSan Sebastián.[4]
Ecia manufacturedmortars since the company's founding in 1925,[9] though after the Civil War, it became the company's specicality.[4] Customers using modern Ecia mortars include, among others,Guatemala andChile.[12] As well as manufacturing the weapons themselves, Ecia manufactured high explosive, smoke, and illumination rounds for its products, as well as training ammunition, anti-personal and anti-armour ammunition, and ammunition for 122 mm and 82 mm mortars.[13]
Entered into Spanish service by royal order on 4 May 1926.[14]
Entered into Spanish service by order on 6 September 1932.[15][16]
Entered into Spanish service by order on 24 May 1933, replacing the 1926 60mm modelas battalion weapon.[17]
Began manufacture in 1942.[18]
An 81mm caliber and a 120mm caliber model was produced from 1942.[19]
Three types of Ecia models replaced the Valeros previously in service, improving on weight. 60mm, 81mm and 120mm variants were produced.[19]
Transported by four individuals or a mule, or used on vehicles.[19]
Transported by being towed.[19]
Also called the "Commando", the C model was designed for special operations units. The C-2 variant was used on vehicles, whilst the L had a bipod to increase its range to 2000m. Their low weight allowed them to be utilised by a single individual.[20][21]
These mortars were equipped with a tripod instead of the usual bipod. They could be transported, dismounted, by a team of three.[21]
Larger mortar with a circular base, designed to be transported which mounted on a two-wheeled trailer.[21]
Transported in a two-wheeled trailer.[21]
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