 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "National Navy of Uruguay" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| National Navy of Uruguay | |
|---|---|
| Armada Nacional del Uruguay | |
 | |
| Founded | 15 November 1817 |
| Country |  Uruguay |
| Branch | Navy |
| Role | "The National Navy, as an integral member of the Armed Forces, shares its mission to defend the Constitution and the laws of the state, its territorial integrity and the exercise of its authority and maritime police, in order to contribute to the defense of the honor, independence and peace of the Republic."[1] |
| Size | abt. 5,700 personnel |
| Garrison/HQ | Rambla 25 de Agosto de 1825,Montevideo |
| Mottos | Llegar, Luchar, Vencer Siempre "To arrive. To fight. To win. Always." |
| Anniversaries | 15 November: Navy Day |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Adm.Jorge Wilson Menéndez[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Naval Jack |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | HC.2-Mk 2 |
| Patrol | Beech 200T |
| Trainer | T-34C |
TheNational Navy of Uruguay (Spanish:Armada Nacional del Uruguay) is a branch of theArmed Forces of Uruguay 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).
Under the lateSpanish Empire,Montevideo became the main naval base (Real Apostadero de Marina) for the South Atlantic, with authority over the Argentine coast,Fernando Po, and theFalklands.[3] The arrival of 100 ships under ViceroyPedro de Cevallos in 1777 was the beginning of the city's prosperity.[citation needed]
The Uruguayan navy, however, dates its origin fromGeneral Artigas'sletter of marque on 15 November 1817, which authorized his forces to plunderPortuguese shipping wherever they found it. Portuguese forces from Brazil had invaded Uruguay (then known as Banda Oriental) in August 1816.[4] Under the nominal leadership of thePedro Campbell, the Irish "Gaucho Admiral", around 50privateerschooners andbrigs (includingRepública Oriental,Fortuna,Valiente,Temerario, andIntrépido) were able to capture more than 200 enemy vessels as far off as Madagascar, Spain, and theAntilles.[citation needed]
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Followingindependence, a navy was established under ColonelPablo Zufriategui, a veteran of Artigas's campaigns and the33 Easterners. As Captain of Ports (Capitán General de Puertos), he fought smuggling and in 1832 Zufriategui led the first sovereign engagement when the schoonerAguila chased off the pirate shipExquisit from Uruguayan waters.[5]
Although the force remained too small to play a decisive role in theGreat War, it is notable that command of the small fleet was personally assumed byGiuseppe Garibaldi, who capturedColonia del Sacramento,Isla Martín García, andGualeguaychú. The flagship during this period was the corvetteSarandí, named after an important battle in the war for independence.
The first specially fitted warships were thegunboatsGeneral Rivera,General Artigas, andGeneral 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 inTrieste, then part ofAustria-Hungary, and commissioned in December 1884; the last was the 23-year-old French gunboatTactique, acquired in 1886.General Rivera was the first ship of the Navy to pass theStrait of Magellan.
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Just prior toWorld War I, PresidentClaudio Williman devoted considerable effort and expense to modernizing the navy, viewing it as demanded for Uruguay's "sovereignty and honor."[6] After false starts in 1817, 1863, and 1874, theUruguay Naval Academy (Escuela Naval) was eventually established in December 1907. New ships included the gunboatDieciocho de Julio (constructed in the UK in 1889), the cruiserMontevideo (the ex-Italian cruiserDogali), the transportMaldonado (constructed in Germany in 1886 and soon renamedBarón de Río Branco for its tasks for the Commission on the Limits of theMerín Lagoon), the steamerVanguardia, and the courierOriental. Thetorpedo gunboatUruguay 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 tugInstituto de Pesca Nº1 - manned by Navy servicemen - led the second failed attempt to rescue the men ofShackleton's expedition fromElephant 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 theArmy. The next year, three patrol boats ordered from Cantieri Navali Riuniti in Genoa arrived. ThePaysandú,Salto, andRío Negro having served for about 30 years, were decommissioned, and then were brought back into service in the 1990s.
 | This section includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this section byintroducing more precise citations.(July 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In December 1939, the Río de la Plata saw the first major naval engagement of World War II when the German pocket battleshipAdmiral Graf Spee faced the cruisersHMS Ajax,Achilles, andExeter and then fled into Montevideo harbor during theBattle of the River Plate. 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 battalionsZapicán andHonor 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 theAllies until 15 February 1945, it was involved in assisting theconvoy effort. This involved the confiscation of two Italian and two Occupied Danish freighters in Montevideo, which were manned by the Navy and rechristenedMontevideo,Maldonado,Rocha andColonia.Montevideo was incidentally sunk by theItalian submarine Enrico Tazzoli in March 1942,[7] which prompted Uruguay to seize the German freighterTacoma. In August 1942,Maldonado was sunk after its commander was taken prisoner by the German submarineU-510.[8] Following this incidents, Uruguay leased a number of its boats to theUS Navy and received in 1944 the anti-submarine warfare (ASW)-capable corvetteMaldonado.
The Fleet Aeronautics Service received sixKingfisher seaplanes from the United States in 1942 and established Laguna del Sauce Aeronaval Base (Base Aeronaval No.2 de Laguna del Sauce) in 1947.
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Following World War II, the beginning of the Cold War saw theInter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance 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 escortsUruguay andArtigas and, in 1953, the frigateMontevideo.
In 1955, the Coast Guard received three motor launches:PS-1,PS-2, andPS-3. In May 1959,PS-2 stood out in the rescue of the crew of the Uruguayan freighterPietrina, stranded on the English Bank, a sandbar off Montevideo.[9]
In 1957, theUNITAS 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 oilerPresidente Oribe was purchased in 1962; ten years later, the second oilerPresidente Rivera; and in 1978,Juan Antonio Lavalleja.
From 1960 to 1962, naval officers onAlférez Cámpora circumnavigated the globe.
In 1965, threeS2A Tracker ASW planes were received; in 1966, the minesweepersCte. Pedro Campbell andMontevideo; in 1969, the tenderHurrican; in 1970, the minesweepersRio Negro andMaldonado. In 1973, the destroyer18 de Julio replacedMontevideo.
The present Uruguayan Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales) was established in 1972.
In 1978, refit works were completed to theROU 20Capitan Miranda that was 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.
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "National Navy of Uruguay" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpeg)
In 1981, three French-designedVigilante-class patrol boats arrive for the Coast Guard –15 de Noviembre,25 de Agosto, andComodoro 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, christenedPresidente Rivera.
From 1989 to 1991, threeCommandant Riviere-class frigates are purchased from France. These were christened ROU 02General Artigas, ROU 01Uruguay, and ROU 03Montevideo. These too ran into problems, particularly with upkeep, andGeneral Artigas was removed from service. In a decision between the two remaining ships,Uruguay was decommissioned andMontevideo received repairs and refurbishment.
Following the fall of Communism, a number of former East German Volksmarine ships were purchased from the new government. In 1991, the Navy received the minesweepers ROU 31Temerario, ROU 32Valiente, ROU 33Fortuna, and ROU 34Audaz. These were named after privateers of the independence era. Also in 1991,Otto von Guericke was purchased and converted into ROU 26Vanguardia. In the early hours of 5 August 2000,Valiente sank after a collision with the Panamanian freighterSkyros, while on patrol offCabo Polonio. Eleven crewmembers died or became missing in the disaster.[10][11]
The Coast Guard received new ships from the United States,Colonia andRío Negro; and in 1999, nine boats of the 44 class from the same country.
Thebuoy tenderSirius was constructed in Montevideo at the National Dock, which also refitted the PortugueseCte. Pedro Campbell andUruguay.
At the end of 1998, the research shipOyarvide 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.
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The National Navy is composed of about 5,700 personnel organized principally into four commands, each with its distinctive color for official functions.
In addition, there are two General Services Corps (Servicios Generales or SS.GG.)
and the Naval Academy (Escuela Naval or ESNAL).
The National Navy also includes theUruguayan Marine Corps and the National Naval Aviation Command.
The service is divided into four main sections:
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.
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Navy of Uruguay[12] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| Almirante | Contraalmirante | Capitán de navío | Capitán de fragata | Capitán de corbeta | Teniente de navío | Alférez de navio | Alférez de fragata | Guardiamarina | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Navy of Uruguay[12][13] |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sub-oficial de cargo | Sub-oficial de primera | Sub-oficial de segunda | Cabo de primera | Cabo de segunda | Marinero de primera | Aprendiz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theship prefix for Uruguay is ROU (forRepública 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[when?] fleet consists of:[14][15]
| Ship | Name | Class | Type | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escort Division | |||||
| ROU 04 | General Artigas | Lüneburg (E) | Replenishment oiler | 6 Apr 2005 | Refitted with helipad. Used for helicopter patrol & transport. FormerlyGermanFreiburg |
| Patrol Division | |||||
| ROU 11 | Río Negro | Cape (C) | Patrol boat | 25 Jan 1990 | FormerlyUSCGCCape Horn (WPB-95322) |
| ROU 14 | Río Arapey | Marine Protector (C) | Patrol boat | 15 Dec 2021 | FormerlyUSCGCAlbacore (WPB-87309) |
| ROU 15 | Río de la Plata | Marine Protector (C) | Patrol boat | 15 Dec 2021 | FormerlyUSCGCCochito (WPB-87329) |
| ROU 16 | Río Yaguarón | Marine Protector (C) | Patrol boat | 15 Dec 2021 | FormerlyUSCGCGannet (WPB-87334) |
| Teaching Vessel | |||||
| ROU 20 | Capitán Miranda | Hydrographic | Schooner | 28 Dec 1930 | Spanish-built. Survey ship prior to 1978, now atraining ship |
| ESNAL | Bonanza | Oceanic sail boat | Schooner | training ship | |
| Auxiliary Ships Service | |||||
| ROU 21 | Sirius | Balizador | Buoy tender | 12 May 1988 | Built in Montevideo with assistance from DutchDamen SY |
| Service Division | |||||
| ROU 23 | Maldonado | Wangerooge (B) | Rescue-salvage ship | 20 Nov 2002 | Fitted for firefighting, hydrographic research. FormerlyGermanNorderney |
| ROU 26 | Vanguardia | Piast | Rescue-salvage ship | 18 Dec 1991 | Formerly 570Otto von Guericke,Volksmarine |
| ROU 27 | Banco Ortiz | Type 270 | Coastal tug | 8 Nov 1991 | Formerly East Germany tug 4Zingst,Volksmarine, Y1655Elbe, |
| Mining & Counter mining Division | |||||
| ROU 31 | Temerario | Kondor II | Minesweeper | 11 Oct 1991 | Formerly 89.242Riesa,Volksmarine |
| ROU 34 | Audaz | Kondor II | Minesweeper | 11 Oct 1991 | Formerly 89.245Eisleben,Volksmarine |
| Search & Rescue | |||||
| ROU 52 | Isla Lobos | 23.5m-class | Lifeboat | 23 November 2018[16] | FormerlyHannes Glogner,German Maritime Search and Rescue Service |
| Research | |||||
| ROU 22 | Oyarvide | Research vessel | Research vessel | 24 Sep 2024 | FormerlyMt. Mitchell,FSV |
Since 1997, the Uruguayan Naval Academy has also maintained the racingsloopBonanza, a gift from theUS Naval Academy at Annapolis.[17]The Prefectura (Coast Guard) received in 2019 a donation of 4 Metal Shark Defiant 32 patrol boats from the USA.[18]
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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 theUruguayan Air Force for easier identification and use the Uruguayan National flag as fin flash.It was created as Aeronautic Service of the Fleet (Servicio de Aeronáutica de la Armada) on 7 February 1925, but didn't receive its first aircraft (twoCANT 18 and oneCANT 21) until 24 September 1930.On 12 June 1934, the Naval Air Base "Isla Libertad" in Montevideo's Bay was declared operational.
In 1942,Grumman J4F Widgeon,Vought OS2U Kingfisher andFairchild PT-23A trainers were received from the US underLend-Lease.[19][20] The Naval Air Base Capitán de Corbeta (Corvette Captain) Carlos A. Curbelo at Laguna del Sauce was declared operational on 10 September 1947.During the years 1949 to 1957, a large supply of North American SNJ-4, Grumman Avenger, Grumman F6F Hellcat, and Martin Mariner aircraft were delivered.[21]The force was renamed Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval) in 1951, and as Uruguayan Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Uruguaya) in 1955.
During the middle of the 1960s, most of the planes in the inventory reached the end of their operational lives and were written off. In this decade the Beechcraft T-34 A, Beechcraft C-45, Grumman S-2A Tracker, Bell TH-13 and Sikorsky CH-34J were incorporated. Some more T-34A/B Mentors were exchanged from the Uruguayan Air Force for SNJ spare parts.
In 1979 nine North AmericanT-28D Fennec and threeC-45 were donated by the Argentinian Navy. Fennecs were used as a light attack platform until 2000. By 1980 one Bell 222 Airwolf was bought for SAR operations plus one Beech B-200T for maritime surveillance. In 1982 three Turbo Mentor and three Grumman S-2G Tracker were acquired. Trackers were written off in 2001. One S-2G (ANU 854) is on reserve. Some of the CH-34Js were exchanged from Hi-Lift Helicopters for three Wessex Mk60. Also, several Bell 47G were incorporated from the civilian market.
During the 1990s a number of Westland Wessex HcMkII were also bought from Royan Navy and Royal Air Force surplus. By 2000 the last airworthy Fennecs, three Cessna 182 and two Piper Seneca were sold to private collectors. After failed negotiations about Catpass 250, Falcon 20 from US Coast Guard and IAI Westwind of Israel Defense Forces, two Handley Page Jetstream TMk 2 were incorporated from the Royal Navy for training and maritime patrol duties. They operated until 2010 due to a lack of spare parts for the Turbomeca Astazou XVI C2 turboprop powerplants. They are currently on reserve.
Six MBB Bo-105M were received from Germany in 2006, plus one Helibras Esquilo donated by the Brazilian government.[22][23] Esquilo replaced Bell 47 as helicopter trainer. Since 2010 Uruguayan Navy has been interested in the acquisition of six Lockheed S-3 Viking used from USN stocks, but a shortage of funds are delaying any purchase.[24][25] In 2013 was incorporated anotherBeechcraft Super King Air.[26] Despite lack of funding, there are some plans for near future to incorporate a heavier maritime patrol platform like Beechcraft B 350ER, C-212-400 MP or some second hand CN-235 MP Persuader, Be-12 Mail or CL-215, a number of surplus Short S.312 Tucanos from Royal Navy or T-34C-1 Turbo Mentors from US Navy stocks and at least three helicopters for carried based operations, like some Bell 212 ASW, Bell 412EP or refurbished Westland SH-3 Sea King from Royal Navy surplus as a replacement of the declining Wessex fleet.
By 2018 the Bo-105M were no longer operative. They are being replaced by two AB-412 from Italian Coast Guard.[27][28]
The small command w/Squadron Group (Grupo de Escuadrones) consists of 2 squadrons and 1 training school.
Naval Aviation Academy (Escuela de Aviación Naval)Originally at Angel S Adami 1944-1947Since then at Captain Carlos Curbelo Naval Air Base (2) at Laguna del Sauce
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritime patrol | ||||||
| Beechcraft Super King Air | United States | patrol | King Air 200 | 2[29] | ||
| Helicopter | ||||||
| Bell 412 | United States | utility | 2[29] | 1 on order | ||
| Trainer | ||||||
| ENAER T-35 Pillán | Chile | trainer | 4 on order[29] | |||
.jpg)
The Uruguayan Navy plans to modernize its aging fleet through new ship acquisitions over the next decade. In 2021, Admiral Jorge Wilson, Commander of the Uruguayan Navy, signed a Letter of Acceptance which will allow the transfer of threeMarine Protector-class patrol vessels from theUnited States Coast Guard.[30] Each ship will include a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that can be launched from the stern of the larger vessel via an innovative launch and recovery system.
Uruguay has also commenced a tender process to purchase two Offshore Patrol Vessels for around $100 million. The current administration will pay $50 million while the rest of the money will be paid in the next ten years, with the first vessel expected to be delivered by June 2024.[31]
