Navy of El Salvador

The Navy of El Salvador (Spanish: Fuerza Naval de El Salvador) is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of El Salvador. The navy was founded on 12 October 1951.[2]

Salvadoran Navy
Fuerza Naval de El Salvador
Founded1912 (original)
12 October 1951
Country El Salvador
BranchNavy
TypeNaval warfare
Size876 personnel[1]
Motto(s)"Patria, Lealtad y Valor" ("Homeland, Loyalty and Valor (Courage)")

Built around craft and duties absorbed from the Salvadoran Coast Guard, the navy is primarily composed of patrol boats tasked with coastal patrol and fishery protection.[3] The current fleet is made up of three Camcraft-type patrol boats originally built in the United States for use as oilfield crew boats. New patrol boats have been ordered from Chile to replace or supplement the current, aging ships.[4]

Current fleet
Class overview
Name: Camcraft-type small patrol boat
Preceded by: N/A (British built patrol boats, retired in 1981)
Succeeded by: New Small Patrol Boat
Active: 3
General characteristics
Type: Patrol Boat
Displacement: 100 tons
Length: 30.5m
Beam: 6.4m
Draught: 1.5m
Propulsion: 3 diesel engines, 1,200 bhp
Speed: 25 knots
Complement: 10
Armament:
  • 1 × 81mm mortar
  • 2 × 12.7mm MG (GC7, GC8)
  • 1 × 20mm gun (GC6)
Notes: Oilfield crew boats converted to patrol boats.
Number/name Class Builder Type Year Details
General Manuel José Arce[1]Cactus/Balsam-class United StatesSupport vessel2002Ex-USCGC Madrona. Built as a seagoing buoy tender for the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942. Decommissioned and sold to El Salvador in 2002.
GC6Camcraft-type United StatesPatrol boat1975
GC7Camcraft-type United StatesPatrol boat1975
GC8Camcraft-type United StatesPatrol boat1975

Future fleet

Two (possibly three) new patrol boats have been ordered from Chile. They will be slightly larger than the current patrol boats with a displacement of 107 tons, measure 32.7 x 6.7 x 2.1 meters, and have a crew of 14. They will also be slightly slower with a top speed of 18 knots. Armament will be 1 x 20mm gun, and one 12.7mm machine gun.[4]

References
  1. "El Salvador". Military Technology World Defence Almanac. Bonn : Wehr & Wissen: 60. 2005. ISSN 0722-3226.
  2. "Fuerza Naval de El Salvador Celebra "LXVI" Aniversario" (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. "Country-Data.com".
  4. "Hazegray.org".


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