Naval Infantry Command

The Naval Infantry Command, (Spanish: "Comando de la Infantería de Marina" or COIM), also known as the Naval Infantry of the Armada of the Argentine Republic (Spanish: "Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina" or IMARA), is the land warfare amphibious branch of the Argentine Navy. It is one of the four operational commands of the Argentine Navy.

History

The Marines trace their origins in Spanish Marine Corps, at the time of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. After the Argentine War of Independence, it was under joint administration administration of the Argentine Army and the Argentine Navy. A 1946 law placed the marines solely under the jurisdiction of the Navy.

Battles and interventions

Under Spanish dominion:
* Reconquest of the Falklands Islands in 1767.
* Falklands Crisis (1770)
* Defense of the East Coast 1776.
* British invasions of the Río de la Plata 1806 and 1807.During independence:
* seizure of Martin Garcia Island in 1814.
* Landing in Monterey, California, now part of the United States (1817–1818): Forces commanded by Hipólito Bouchard, 200 men of which 130 were armed with guns and 70 with lances, disembarked to one league from the fort of Monterrey, in a hidden creek from the heights. The resistance of the fort was very weak, and after one hour battle the Argentine flag was raised.

Argentine confederation:
* War of Costa Bravo (1842), against the forces under the control of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
* Argentina-Brazil War. (1820's)
* Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (1845)
* War of the Triple Alliance. (1845)

Argentine Republic

* Snipe incident
* Dirty War (1976 to 1983)
* Operation Soberania
* Falklands War ( _es. Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur) (1982) : Falklands and South Georgia invasions and Battle of Mount Tumbledown, .
* Gulf War. (1990)
* UN Peacekeeper, observers/peace missions in Cyprus, Western Sahara, the Balkans and Haiti.

Fleet Marine Force (FAIF)

The FMF was formerly called the Brigada de IM No. 1.
* 2nd Marine Corps Battalion
* 1st Amphibious Vehicles Battalion
* Amphibious Engineers Battalion
* Command and Logistical Support Battalion
* 1st Communications Battalion
* 1st Field Artillery Battalion
* Anti-aircraft artillery Battalion
* Amphibious Commandos Group (APCA)

Southern Marine Force (FAIA)

The SMF was formerly called the Fuerza de IM No. 1.
* 4th Marine Corps Battalion
* 5th Marine Corps Battalion
* Naval Detachment Río Grande

River Operations Unit

* 3rd Marine Corps Battalion

Marine Security Forces

* Navy General Staff Security Battalion
* Puerto Belgrano Naval Base Security Battalion

Auxiliary units

The Marine Corps also maintains 15 Security Companies at Naval and Naval Air Bases.

Current deployments

IMARA has two Infantry Companies deployed in Haiti and Cyprus under the auspices of MINUSTAH and UNFICYP respectively in joint operations with the Argentine Army and Argentine Air Force. A small platoon was also deployed in Kosovo, attached to Argentine Engineers Company, which was in turn attached to the Italian Brigade.

Several Marine Officers and NCO's are routinely deployed as military observers for the UN.

Weapons and vehicles

[ [http://www.ara.mil.ar/pnav_infmarina.asp#02 Armada Argentina - Sitio Oficial ] ]
*LVTP-7 Amphibious APC (local name VAO "Vehiculo Anfibio a Orugas")
*LARC-V Amphibious Truck (local name VAR "Vehiculo Anfibio a Ruedas")
*ERC-90F1 6x6 "Lynx" Recon. Vehicle
*Panhard VCR/TT 4x4 APC
*VCR/AA 4x4 AAA
*VCR/AT wheeled armoured recovery vehicle
*American Motors M35A3 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
*Mercedes-Benz MB1720 truck
*M-997/1025 HMMWV
*Bofors 40 mm L 70 radar guided AAA
*RBS-70 man-portable SAM
*M-101 105 mm Howitzer
*M-56 105 mm Pack Howitzer
*M-114A1 155 mm Howitzer
*SOLTAM 81 mm Mortar
*Mk.19 AGL
*Browning 12,7 mm HMG
*FN MAG GPMG
*M-249 LMG
*M16A2 AR

3rd Naval Helicopter Sqn. (Bell UH-1H) is usually attached to the Fleet Marine Force.

See also

*Marines
*Armada of the Argentine Republic
*Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War
*Military history of Argentina

References

External links

*es icon [http://www.ara.mil.ar Argentine Navy Official website]
*es icon [http://www.ara.mil.ar/pnav_infmarina.asp Argentine Marines official website]
*es icon [http://www.fuerzasnavales.com Argentine Marines Unofficial website]
*es icon [http://www.saorbats.com.ar/ORBAT%20-%20Argentina%20-%20ARA.htm Organization and equipment]
*es icon [http://www.bichosverdes.org Argentine Marine Corps Association]
*es icon [http://www.ara.mil.ar/La_Armada/MediosyCapacidades/infanteria/malvinas/muertos.htm Argentine Marine Fallen in Malvinas]
* [http://worldnavies.glt.pl/ World Navies]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6515129.stm As part of his journey of reconciliation Mike Seers travels to Argentina to interview Marine artillery gunners whom he fought against]
* [http://www.cema.edu.ar/publicaciones/download/documentos/271.pdf Reassessing the Fighting Performance of the Argentine 5th Marines]