Brazilian Marine Corps

Brazilian Marine Corps Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais
Active	1797 - present
Country	Brazil
Branch	Brazilian Navy
Type	Marines
Size	15,000
Part of	Navy Ministry of Defence
General-Command HQ	Rio de Janeiro
Motto	Adsumus (Here we are)
Colors	Red; White
Anniversaries	March 7
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Dilma Rousseff
Commander of the Navy	Admiral Júlio Soares de Moura Neto
General-Commander of the Marine Corps	Admiral Álvaro Augusto Dias Monteiro

Brazilian Navy

Headquarters Brasília/DF History and traditions Establishment:1822 Navy Day:10 November Patron:Marquês de Tamandaré Battles War of Independence (1822-1823) Argentina-Brazil War (1825-1828) War of Tatters War of the Triple Alliance World War I World War II Components Ships of the Brazilian Navy Aircraft of the Brazilian Navy Corps of Naval Fusiliers Naval Aviation Personnel Admiral Júlio Soares de Moura Neto

The Brazilian Marine Corps (Portuguese: Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais; CFN) is the land combat branch of the Brazilian Navy.

Mission

Deployed nationwide, along the coasts, in the marginal regions of Amazônia and in the Pantanal, in peacetime it provides for the security of Naval installations and aids isolated populations through civic action programs in the Naval Districts. Externally, it provides security for the embassies of Brazil in Algeria, in Paraguay, in Haiti and in Bolivia. It has participated in all of the armed conflicts in the Military history of Brazil.

The badge consist of an encircled anchor superimposed over a pair of crossed ron the collar points of the dress and service uniforms.

History

Brazilian Marines in the red gala uniform titled "Garança"

The Royal Brigade of the Navy

The CFN was originally the old Royal Brigade of the Navy, a unit of Marine Soldiers created in Portugal by HRM Queen Maria I in 1797.

The Brazilian Marines trace their origin to 1808 when the troops of the Royal Brigade of the Navy (the Portuguese Marine Corps) arrived in Brazil (then a Portuguese colony) when Mary I of Portugal and her son and regent John VI fled Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.

The baptism of fire: the conquest of Cayenne

In retaliation for the invasion of Portugal, Prince Regent, Dom João commanded the invasion of French Guiana, whose capital, Cayenne, was captured on the 14th of January 1809.

Historical campaigns

Brazilian Marines in Battle of Riachuelo.

Later, the unit was involved in diverse campaigns, in the War of the independence of Brazil, in the conflicts of the basin of the River Plate, and in War of the Triple Alliance. In this last one, it was distinguished in action in the Battle of Riachuelo and in taking of Humaitá.

United Nations service

The CFN if has participated in the humanitarian actions promoted by UN in such diverse theaters of operation as Bosnia, Honduras, Moçambique, Ruanda, Angola, East Timor, and recently, in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The Corps today

MOWAG Piranha is the main armored personal carrier on service with the CFN.

Staff and mission

With about 15,000 men, all volunteers, professionals in combat on land, air and sea, its mission is to guarantee the projection of the naval power on land, by means of landings carried through with ships and staff of the Navy.

In the case of Brazil this is a complex mission, since the country has a territory of about 8,5 million km² (3.28 million sq. miles), a coast of more than 7,400 km (4,600 mi) with many oceanic islands, and a navigable waterways network of approximately 50,000 km (31,000 mi). This last one includes the Brazilian Amazon. To cover climates and natural landscapes so diversified as Pampas of Rio Grande Do Sul, pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, deserts of the Northeast region and Amazonian Rainforest, demands a training of the highest standards, agility and versatility. Therefore, there are units trained in demolition techniques, special operations, combat in forests, mountain and ice, and helicopter-transported operations.

Trained as a Fast Deployment Unit, recently, with the sending of Brazilian military observers, also integrating the Peacekeeping Forces of the United Nations, the Marines have made their presence in distinctive areas of conflict as El Salvador, Bosnia, Angola, Moçambique, Ruanda, Peru, Ecuador, East Timor and, more recently, Haiti.

Organization

The Corps headquarters is located in Fortaleza de São José, Ilha das Cobras, Rio de Janeiro.

Structure Naval Fusiliers Corps

Fleet Marine Force

The Fleets Marine Force (Força de Fuzileiros da Esquadra (FFE)) consists of the following units:

• 1st Amphibious Division (Divisão Anfíbia (DivAnf)) of brigade size with the following:
  • Command and Control Battalion (Batalhão de Comando e Controle),
  • Three Marine Battalions (Infantry) (Batalhão de Fuzileiros Navais (BFN)):
    • 1st "Riachuelo" Battalion,
    • 2nd "Humaita" Battalion
    • 3rd "Paissandu" Battalion

• • Marine's Artillery Battalion (Batalhão de Artilharia de Fuzileiros Navais): M114, L118 and M101 howitzer

• • Armoured Vehicle Battalion (Batalhão de Blindados): with 17 SK 105 tank destroyers and 30 vehicle PIRANHA III

• • Tactical Air Control and Air-defense Battalion (Batalhão de Controle Aerotático e Defesa Antiaérea): Bofors 40 mm gun and MANPADS Mistral (missile)

• • Governor's Island Marine Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais da Ilha do Governador),

• Reinforcement Troops (Tropa de Reforço (TrRef)) located in Ilha das Flores in São Gonçalo (RJ)
  • 1st Marine Engineer Battalion (Batalhão de Engenharia de Fuzileiros Navais),
  • 1st Marine Logistic Battalion (Batalhão Logístico de Fuzileiros Navais),
  • Amphibious Vehicles Battalion (Batalhão de Viaturas Anfíbias), with 13 AAV-7A1 ,9 LVTP-7A1, 2 LVTC-7A1 and 2 LVTR-7A1
  • Police Company (Companhia de Polícia)
  • Landing Company (Apoio ao Desembarque) - a company sized unit responsible for the loading and unloading of troops and equipment from ships, especially landing craft.
  • Isle of Flowers Marine Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais da Ilha das Flores),
• Disembarkation Troops Command (Comando da Tropa de Desembarque (ComTrDbq)), located at Duque de Caxias (RJ) - provides the means to command, control and administer the Command of the Fleet Marine Force and to also local units: 29 armored vehicles M113A1

• Marine's Special Operations Battalion "Tonelero" (Batalhão de Operações Especiais de Fuzileiros Navais (Batalhão Tonelero)) A unit similar to US Navy SEALs formed in 1957 and structured for high risk operations. Its mission is to destroy or damage prominent objectives in heavily defended areas, capture or rescue personnels or equipment, seize installations, obtain information, mislead and produce psychological effects.
• Rio Meriti Naval Marine Base (Base de Fuzileiros Navais do Rio Meriti (BFNRM)), located in Duque de Caxias (RJ)
• ships detachments

Regional

"Groupings of Marine Corps" (Grupamentos de Fuzileiros Navais (GFN)) are subordinate to the Naval Districts (Distritos Navais), for the security of naval installations, as well as performing operations in support of Naval District. They are located in the vicinity of the local Naval District headquarters. The 8th Naval District does not possess any such grouping. GFNs are companies the size of small battalions.

• GFN do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (1st DN)
• GFN de Salvador, Bahia (2nd DN)
• GFN de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte (3rd DN)
• GFN de Belém, Pará (4th DN)
• GFN de Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul (5th DN)
• GFN de Ladário, Mato Grosso do Sul (6th DN)
• GFN de Brasília, Distrito Federal (7th DN)
• Riverine Operations Battalion (Batalhão de Operações Ribeirinhas), Manaus, Amazonia (9th DN)

Methods

To fulfill its missions, the Marines are disembarked off the ships of the Brazilian Navy, be it using landing boats, amphibious vehicles or helicopters. For this they count on the support of the navy and/or sea and air support.

On land, it operates its normal ways, which include tanks, field artillery, antiaircraft artillery, combat engineering, communications and electronic warfare.

Main Equipment

The Corps has a modern arsenal, composed by:

Equipment	Origin	Type	Versions	In service
Armoured fighting vehicle
SK-105 Kürassier	Austria	light tank	SK-105	17
AAV-7A1	United States	amphibious assault vehicle	13 AAV-7A1 ,9 LVTP-7A1, 2 LVTC-7A1 and 2 LVTR-7A1	26
M113	United States	armored personnel carrier	M113A1	29
MOWAG Piranha	Switzerland	armored personnel carrier	Piranha IIIC 8x8	30
Towed artillery
M114	United States	Towed howitzer	155 mm	6
L118	United Kingdom	Towed howitzer	105 mm	18
M101	United States	Towed howitzer	105 mm	6
K-6A3	Israel	Mortar	120 mm	-
M29 mortar	United States	Mortar	81 mm	-
Brandt mortar	France	Mortar	60 mm	-
Bofors 40mm L/70	Sweden	Towed anti-aircraft artillery	40 mm	6
Anti-aircraft missiles
Mistral	France	surface-to-air missile		-
Vehicles
Bandvagn 206	Sweden	Rada	BV-206D	1
Marrua	Brazil	light vehicle	AM2 MB-NET	29
Land Rover Defender	United Kingdom	Light Utility Vehicle	-	-
Toyota Land Cruiser	Brazil	light vehicle	Toyota HZJ73LV 4x4	-
Unimog	Germany	Truck	U1300L/2450L Unimog	228
MBB 1720	Brazil	Truck	Mod. 1720/A/42 4x4	-
Mercedez-Benz LAK1418	Brazil	Truck	Mod. LAK1418 4x4	-
Volvo NL	Brazil	Truck	Mod. NL 12360	-

Training

Brazilian marines demonstrate lane training.

To fulfill its missions, fusiliers must pass a rigorous physical training program, normally with many runs, calisthenics, sleep deprivation, swimming while holding their breath, practice shooting with diverse armaments, especially metal rings, rappeling and, in some cases, combat.

Uniforms

The Brazilian Marines wear several different uniforms.

Main Equipment

The Corps has a modern arsenal, composed by:

Weapon	Type	QTD	Notes	Picture
M16A2	Assault Rifle	-	be replaced by Imbel IA2
M4	Special forces weapon	-
Beretta 92	Pistol	-
Parker Hale M85	Sniper	-
FN MAG	Machine gun	-
FN MINIMI	Light machine gun	-
AT4	Anti-tank weapon	-	be replaced by ImbelALAC
ALAC	Anti-tank weapon	-
BILL	Anti-tank missile	-	be replaced by MSS-1.2
MSS-1.2	Anti-tank missile	-
SK 105	Light tank	17
AAV-7A1	Armoured personnel carrier	26
M113A1	Armoured personnel carrier	29	upgrade to finish in 2013
Mowag Piranha III (8x8)	Armoured personnel carrier	30	Delivery Process
M114	Howitzer	6
L118	Howitzer	18
M101	M101 howitzer	6	study by replacing M777
Bofors 40 mm gun	Autocannon	6
MANPADS Mistral	Surface-to-air missile	-
Carcara UAV	UAV	-	Carcara in test 2

Gallery

• 

  Brazilian Marines with the COIM and USMC in amphibious exercise.

• 

  GRUMEC in "SABOTAGE" training.

• 

  Armored vehicle of the Marine Corps in support of police forces in combating drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro in November 2010.

• 

  Unimog in Rio de Janeiro.

See also

• Marines
• Naval infantry

External links

• Official website (in Portuguese only)
• Fleet Marine Force website (in Portuguese only)