The Ecuadorian Navy (Spanish: Armada del Ecuador) is an Ecuadorian entity responsible for the surveillance and protection of national maritime territory and has a personnel of 9,400[1] men to protect a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into the Pacific Ocean. The vessels are identified by a ship prefix of B.A.E.: Buque de la Armada del Ecuador (Ship of the Ecuadorian Navy) or L.A.E.: Lancha de la Armada del Ecuador (Boat of the Ecuadorian Navy).
Mission
Organize, train, equip and maintain naval capabilities, as well as to assist and support all procedures involving national security and development. Contribute to the achievement of safeguarding national objectives in times of peace and war.
Vision
Maintain highly trained naval forces to secure victory within the maritime zone in order to support developing communities. As a consequence operate highly qualified military personnel whom are able to fulfill this role based on elevated moral, values and principles.
History
The roots of the Ecuadorian Navy or (Armada Ecuatoriana) date back to 1823 whilst forming a part of the Gran Colombian fleet. The government of President Eloy Alfaro (1906–1911) made one of the most notable naval acquisitions of the time, the torpedo ship Libertador Bolívar, with the aim of restoring the navy. In 1832, the Ecuadorian Congress officially established the Ecuadorian Maritime Department. On 25 July 1941 during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, the gunboat Abdón Calderón commanded by Rafael Morán Valverde encountered the Peruvian destroyer Almirante Villar in the Jambeli channel.[2] The Ecuadorian gunboat opened fire on Villar, keeping its distance while doing shots for elevation, but the Peruvian destroyer returned fire for the duration of the chase, which was ended by the Peruvians when the Calderon took refuge in the channels. The Calderon was unharmed in the skirmish and according to Ecuador, the Peruvian Villar suffered damages, an allegation that has always been refuted by Perú.[3] However, this event had no influence over the general outcome of the war as Puerto Bolivar was lost to Peruvian troops only two days later.
Present day
Today, the Ecuadorian Navy is a compact, efficient and well-balanced force. However, limited funds hinder any major acquisitions and the chances of maintaining a strong force within the Pacific Ocean. Since introduction of a restructuring program within the Armed Forces (PATRIA I), the Navy's structure became simplified. It supervises the Pacific Coast and Galápagos Islands as one naval zone. Most seagoing assets are based at Guayaquil.
Active ships
Currently [when?] the Navy consists of the following vessels:
As an ambassador of its country, the Guayas is a participant in tall ship regattas. By the end of 2008 the Guayas had visited 60 harbours in 25 countries and covered about 340,000 nautical miles (630,000 km).
The Ecuadorian Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Ecuatoriana) was formed in 1967 with fixed-wing aircraft and received some helicopters in 1973. It remains the least effective section of the navy; capable of performing limited maritime patrol missions, it consists of a fixed wing and a rotary wing element. Aircraft are based at Base Aérea Simón Bolívar in Guayaquil and the Eloy Alfaro Air Base in Manta. The most recent acquisitions of the ANE are two Heron 1 and four Searcher Mk. III[16] from Israel. These have increased the Navy's coastal surveillance capacity significantly.
Active aircraft
Currently [when?] the Navy consists of the following aircraft:
Two units delivered on August 1, 2010. The first 430 received a Garmin GNS400 GPS coupled to the autopilot. Both were equipped with a Honeywell Mark XXII EGPWS, right hand sliding door, hoist provisions and some maintenance items.[17] Two units delivered on September 11, 2014. 1 crashed in 2024.[18]
The Coast Guard (Cuerpo de Guardacostas de la Armada) became fully operational in 1980. Their mission is to control maritime activities on national territory, including all river zones. The objectives are internal security, protection of human life at sea, and environmental protection. It consists of around 250 men and 30 major as well as 40 smaller modern patrol vessels.[21]
In 2011 Ecuador ordered four 26.5 metres (87 ft) patrol vessels based on the Damen Stan 2600 design for the Coast Guard.[22][23][24][25]
Marines
The Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) was formed on 12 November 1962. It maintains a strength of around 1700[26]marines, with their HQ in Guayaquil. The units are individually spread across the naval coast of Ecuador and are equipped with infantry support weapons, including 60 mm and 81 mm mortars, 106 mm recoilless rifles (RCLs) and Humvees. However, it lacks amphibious assault and sealift capacity. The Ecuadorian Marines are to maintain a high level of alert in order to execute special operations in difficult territory as well as to provide a fast response to counter amphibious incursions. Structure:
Escuela de la Infanteria Marina (Naval Infantry School)
Compañia de Seguridad "Guayaquil" (Security Detachment)
Ecuadorian navy FSG Corvette ESMERALDAS (CM 11), equipped with 2 x 3 MM40 Exocet SSM, 1 x 4 Aspide SAM, 1 x 76mm gun, 6 x 324mm ASTI, helicopter on deck (Bell 206).
Ecuadorian submarine BAE Shyri in 2003. Ecuador owns two of these submarines.
An Ecuadorian Coast Guard combat ship (LG-40) during an exercise.
The Ecuadorian corvette BAE El Oro (CM 14) during an exercise.
The Ecuadorian Navy corvette BAE Manabi (CM 12) during an exercise.
The school ship Guayas on a visit in Argentina.
The Guayas in Sweden (2008).
Ecuadorian sailors assigned to the Ecuadorian Corvette BAE El Oro (CM 14).
Ecuadorian Navy ship Guayas, visiting Pearl Harbor.
In 1991, acquired from the Royal Navy along with the former Danae (F47), the Eloy Alfaro was decommissioned on 19 March 2008, after 17 years of service in the Ecuadorian Navy.
Acquired in 1991 from the Royal Navy, the Morán Valverde was decommissioned in October 2008.
Along with her sister ship Almirante Lynch, the former Almirante Condell, renamed BAE Eloy Alfaro (FM 01). Both ships were handed over by the Chilean Navy to the Navy of Ecuador on 18 April 2008.[31]
In March 2008, the Almirante Lynch and sister ship Almirante Condell (PFG-06) were sold to Ecuador. The former Almirante Lynch is in active service under the name BAE Morán Valverde.
An Ecuadorian maritime interdiction team, armed with MP5s, assigned to conduct a visit, board, search, and seizure exercise.
^"L'Equateur commande une vedette garde-côte" [Ecuador orders a star Coast Guard]. Mer et Maritime. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011. The Dutch group Damen shipyard and the Ecuadorian Astinave signed with the coastguard service of Ecuador, the order type of a star Stan Patrol 2606.
^"Astinave contracts Damen for fourth Patrol Vessel". Damen Group. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Astilleros Navales Ecuatorianos EP - has recently awarded Damen Shipyards Group the contract for a fourth Patrol Vessel of the Damen Stan Patrol 2606 type. This contract represents the last of this SPa 2606 series for the Ecuadorian Coastguard to be built locally.
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![Along with her sister ship Almirante Lynch, the former Almirante Condell, renamed BAE Eloy Alfaro (FM 01). Both ships were handed over by the Chilean Navy to the Navy of Ecuador on 18 April 2008.[31]](File:DN-SN-97-01703.jpg)
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