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Jalisco Lancer 
Sultan 
Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112 |
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 Topic: Latin America WeaponryPosted: 21-Apr-2005 at 00:01 |
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My Webpage Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- Argentina Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm FMK3 (Argentina) 9mm Sterling Mk 4 (UK) 9mm H&K MP5 (Germany) 0.45 M3A1 (USA) Rifles 5.56mm FARA-83 (Argentina) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm Beretta BM59 (Italy) 7.62mm Steyr SSG69 (Austria) Machine guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Belize Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm Sterling (UK) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62mm Bren L4 (UK) 7.62 FN MAG (Belgium) Bolivia Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 0.45 M3A1 (USA) 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm MAT-49 (France) Rifles 5.56mm Steyr AUG (Austria) 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 7.62mm SIG 510-4 (Switzerland) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) Machine guns 7.62mm SIG 710-3 (Switzerland) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62mm M60 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Brazil Pistols 9mm Beretta M92 (Italy) 9mm IMBEL (Brazil) Sub-machine guns 9mm Beretta M12S (Italy) 9mm Walther MPK (Germany) 9mm Mekanika (?) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm HK33E (Germany) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62mm Madsen (Denmark?) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Chile Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) 9mm Star 30M (Spain) Sub-machine guns 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm SIMA 79 (Peru) 9mm Star Z-45, Z-62 (Spain) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) 7.62mm AK-47, AKM (CIS) 7.62mm Steyr SSG69 (Austria) Machine-guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62 M60 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) 12.7mm DShK (CIS) Colombia Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) Sub-machine guns 9mm Madsen M46, 50, 53 (Denmark) 9mm Walther MPK (Germany) 9mm Ingram (USA) 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) 7.62mm M14 (USA) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 7.62mm HK21 (Germany) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.30 BAR M1918 (USA?) 0.30 Browning M1919AR (USA?) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Costa Rica Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) Sub-machine guns 9mm Beretta 38/49 (Italy) Rifles 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm Type 68 (China) 7.62mm M14 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 0.30 BAR M1918 (USA?) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA?) Cuba Pistols 9mm Makarov (CIS) 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm vz/23, 25 (?) 9mm Star Z-45 (Spain) Rifles 7.62mm vz/58 (?) 7.62mm AK-47, AKM (CIS) Machine guns 7.62mm PK, RPK (CIS) 7.62mm RP-46 (CIS) 7.62mm DPM (CIS) 12.7mm DShK (CIS) Dominican Republic Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) Sub-Machine guns 9mm Beretta M38/49 (Italy) 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 7.62mm G3 (Germany) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm CETME 58 (Spain) 7.62mm M14 (USA) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Ecuador Pistols .45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns .45 M3A1 (USA) 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm Steyr AUG (Austria) 5.56mm SIG 540 (Switzerland) 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm M14 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62mm Yugo MG42 (Italy) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) El Salvador Pistols 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm H&K MP5 (Germany) 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm HK33 (Germany) 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 7.62mm M14 (USA) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 7.62mm Madsen (Denmark) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Guatemala Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm Star (Spain) 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 0.45 M3A1 (USA) 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm Beretta 12 (Italy) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm Galil (Israel) 0.30 Carbine M1 (USA) Machine guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Haiti Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm Beretta 951 (Italy) Sub-machine guns 0.45 Thompson (USA) 9mm Uzi, Mini-Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA) Honduras Pistols 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm Beretta 93R (Italy) 9mm Uzi, Mini-Uzi (Israel) 9mm H&K MP5 (Germany) Rifles 5.56mm Ruger Mini-14 (USA) 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm M14 (USA) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Jamaica Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm Sterling (UK) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 5.56mm L85A1IW (UK) Machine guns 7.62mm FN-FAL/HB (Belgium) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Mexico Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm H&K P7M13 (Germany) Sub-machine guns 9mm Mendoza (Mexico) 9mm HK53 (Germany) 9mm H&K MP5 (Germany) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm HK33E (Germany) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) 7.62mm G3 (Germany) Machine-guns 5.56mm Ameli (Spain) 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62mm HK21A1 (Germany) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Nicaragua Pistols 0.45 M1911A1 (USA) 9mm Makarov (CIS) Sub-machine guns 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm vz/23, 25 (?) 9mm Madsen M50 (Denmark) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm Galil (Israel) 5.56mm SIG 540 (Switzerland) Machine guns 7.62mm M60 (USA) 7.62mm RDP, RPK (CIS) 12.7mm DShK (CIS) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Panama Pistols 9mm FN35 (Belgium) Sub-machine guns 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 5.56mm Type 65 (China) 0.30 Garand M1 (USA?) Machine guns 5.56mm M16A1/HB (USA) 7.62 FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62 M60 (USA) 0.30 Browning M1919A4 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Paraguay Pistols 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) 9mm H&K P9S (Germany) 9mm H&K VP70Z (Germany) Sub-machine guns 9mm Madsen (Denmark or Brazil?) 9mm Carl Gustaf (Sweden) 9mm Uzi (Israel) Rifles 5.56mm AR70/90 (Italy) 5.56mm SIG540 (Switzerland) 7.62 FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62 FN-FAL/HB (Belgium) 7.62mm Madsen (Denmark or Brazil?) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Uruguay Pistols 9mm H&K P7M8 (Germany) 9mm HK4 (Germany) 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) 9mm SIG P220 (Switzerland) Sub-machine guns 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm H&K MP5 (Germany) 9mm Star Z-45 (Spain) Rifles 5.56mm M16A1 (USA) 7.62 FN-FAL (Belgium) 0.30 Garand M1 (USA?) Machine guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 0.30 Browning M1919A4, A6 (USA) 0.30 BAR M1918A2 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Venezuela Pistols 9mm FN 35 (Belgium) 9mm HK4 (Germany) Sub-machine guns 9mm Uzi (Israel) 9mm Beretta M12 (Italy) 9mm Walther MPK (Germany) Rifles 5.56mm FN-FNC (Belgium) 7.62mm M14 (USA) 7.62mm FN-FAL (Belgium) Machine guns 7.62mm FN MAG (Belgium) 7.62mm M60 (USA) 0.50 Browning M2HB (USA) Compiled From: Janes's Infantry Weapons, 1995-1996, edited by Terry J. Gander and Ian V. Hogg, (Surrey UK: Janes Info Group, ltd., 1995). IP: 201.128.229.182 |
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Jalisco Lancer
Sultan
Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 21-Apr-2005 at 00:02 |
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DOMESTIC ARMS PRODUCTION ALTHOUGH THE smaller and poorer nations of South and Central America generally rely on imported arms to satisfy their military needs, the larger and wealthier nations of the region produce a wide variety of small arms and light weapons. Indeed, Latin America has a long tradition of small arms production, with some manufacturers tracing their history back many decades. The Fbrica Nacional de Armas of Mexico, for instance, has been manufacturing rifles in Mexico City since before World War I, and the Argentine arms industry can trace its roots to the mid-19th century. At present, light weapons of one type or another are produced at private or government-owned factories in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Together, these plants are capable of producing hundreds of thousands of weapons per year (see Table 2.1). The development of munitions factories in Latin America is a product, in many cases, of the military's belief that self-sufficiency in armaments manufacture is an essential precondition for national sovereignty. This view has long been held by the armed forces of the major European nations, and was undoubtedly communicated to Latin American military officers in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the European powersespecially Germany, Britain, and Franceprovided military training and advice to the Latin American armies. As the latter have achieved greater power and influence over the governments of their respective countriesa pattern seen in many Latin American countries over the past 75 yearsthey have often invested public funds in the establishment of national arms industries.1 And because the militaries in these countries have been concerned primarily with internal security and border protection, they have naturally stressed the development of small arms and other infantry-type weapons. The establishment of weapons industries is also seen by the leaders of some Latin American countries as a means of promoting modernization and development. Arms industries are thought to be useful for this purpose because they generate new products 16/ A SCOURGE OF GUNS for export and because they stimulate the development of ancillary industries in the civilian economy, for instance in electronics, aircraft production, metallurgy, and shipbuilding. This view is especially widespread in Brazil, where the government has established a state-owned conglomerate, IMBEL (Indstria Brasileira de Material Blico) to expand domestic arms production and to market Brazilian military products abroad. 2 Much of the resulting investment, especially in Brazil, has been focused on the development of aircraft and missiles, but the light weapons sector has also benefitted. This is particularly evident in Chile and Peru, which lack the resources for aircraft and missile production but which have succeeded in establishing viable small arms industries. 3 Although several of the Latin American arms producers have sought to attain true self-sufficiencyentailing the indigenous design, as well as production of armamentsmost of the light weapons now being produced in the region are derived from U.S. or European designs. Typically, this involves the acquisition of a license and production know-how (and, in some cases, production equipment) from the original manufacturer. For example, the widely popular FAL assault rifle, originally produced by the Fabrique Nationale Herstal of Belgium, is (or has been) license-produced in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.4 Latin American arms firms also produce a wide variety of pistols, revolvers, and machine guns under license from companies in the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, Latin American producers have, on occasion, demonstrated a capacity to design and produce weapons of international appeal. The first gas-operated auto-loading rifle to be used in regular military service by a European army, the Fusil Automatico de 7 mm 'Porfirio Diaz' of 1908, was invented by a Mexican Army officer, Manuel Mondragon. 5 More recently, the Brazilian weapons designer Olympio Vieira de Mello developed several light weapons with broad international appeal, including the 9 mm Uru submachine gun and the 7.62 mm Uirapuru machine gun. 6 Designers in Argentina, Chile, and Peru have also introduced weapons that have found a market in other countries.7 When speaking of the "arms trade in Latin America," therefore, we must consider sales by Latin American countries as well as to them. Although the nations of Latin America will continue to procure small arms and light weapons from external suppliers, it is likely that they will rely increasingly on the output of their own factories and on arms acquired from other states in the region. It is useful, then, to examine the arms pro- Table 2.1 DOMESTIC ARMS PRODUCTION \17 Light Weapons Production in Latin America (x = at least one model of this weapon produced) pistols, revolvers rifles submachine guns machineguns hand grenades land mines mortars Argentina x x x x x x x Brazil x x x x x x Chile x x x x x x Colombia x Dom. Rep. x Guatemala x Mexico x x Peru x x Venezuela x x Sources: Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995-1996, Rifles of the World. duction capabilities of Latin American countries. (See Appendix for a com- prehensive list of light weapons manufactured in Latin America.) Argentina Argentina has been producing arms of one sort or another since the late 19th century, and, in the 1930s, established a large and diversified military-industrial complex under the overall supervision of the Direccin General de Fabricaciones Militares (DGFM). 8 Small arms production in Argentina is centered at the state-owned Fbrica Militar de Armas Porttiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP) in Rosario, Santa Fe, known as FM Domingo Matheu or simply Rosario. (Domingo Matheu was a 19th century Argentine military leader who was active in the early development of the nation's arms industry.) This facility has been in operation since before World War II, and today manufactures a wide range of small arms and ammunition. 9 FM Domingo Matheu began producing German-type Mauser bolt-action riflesthe Fusil Mauser Argentino Modelo 1909in 1942, when direct arms imports from Europe were cut off by the war; an estimated 85,000 Mausers were produced at Rosario between 1945 and 1959.10 In 1960, FMAP began producing the Belgian 18/ A SCOURGE OF GUNS designed, auto-loading 7.62 mm Fusil Automatique Lgr (FAL) under license from Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN), the leading Belgian small arms producer. Several variants of the FAL have been produced at Rosario, including the standard model and a folding-butt "para" model; all told, some 120,000 of these rifles were manufactured between 1960 and 1983, and production of most types continues. 11 The Argentinians also manufacture the 7.62 mm FN MAG machine gun under license from Fabrique Nationale, along with a light machine gun, the Fusil Automatico Pesado (FAP), based on the FAL. 12 In addition, FMAP produces a variety of pistols and submachine guns. From 1927 to 1942, an estimated 38,000 copies of the Colt M1911 .45 cal. pistol (known locally as the Pistola Sistema Colt Modelo 1927) were made at Rosario; another 75,000 were produced in 1947-1966 (some of which were still in service with elements of the Argentine military during the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982). 13 Since 1969, the standard sidearm of the Argentine military has been the 9 mm Browning High Power pistol (model 1935 GP), manufactured under license from Fabrique National Herstal; an estimated 183,000 of these pistols had been produced by the mid-1980s, and production continues today. FMAP also manufactures a locally-designed 9 mm submachine gun, the FMK-3, of which some 30,000 had been produced by 1991; before that, Rosario had turned out an estimated 50,000 PAM-1 and PAM-2 submachine guns (a variant of the U.S. M3A1). 14 Combat gre- nades, including the GME-FMK2-MO hand grenade, are also manufactured at Rosario. 15 A number of heavier infantry weapons are manufactured at the Fbrica Militar in Rio Tercero, Cordoba. These include the 105 mm Model 1974 FMK-1 Czekalski recoilless rifle, a locally-designed anti-tank weapon mounted on a wheeled carriage, and several types of light mortars (see Appendix). In addition, Argentina's Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificos y Technicas de las Feurzas Armadas (CITEFA) in Buenos Aires has produced a wire-guided man-portable anti-tank missile, the Mathogo, and is also reported to be developing a more advanced version with a semiautomatic line-of-sight guidance system, the CIBEL 2K . 16 Brazil was slower than Argentina to develop modern military industries, but in the 1970s it laid the foundations for a large and technologically advanced military-industrialcomplex. IMBEL, which assumed control over all state-owned arms facilities in 1975, was empowered by the government to expand domestic military production and to launch new industrial enterprises. This resulted in the introduction of a number of major weapons systems, including aircraft, armored vehicles, and missiles, along with a wide variety of small arms and light weapons. 17 During World War II, Brazil sent a contingent of soldiersknown as the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (BEF)to fight on the allied side in Europe and, as a result, was provided with a large quantity of U.S. M1 rifles and other light weapons. The United States continued to supply Brazil with M1s after the war, via the Military Assistance Program (see chapter 3). In the early 1960s, the Brazilian military decided to replace the M1 with the Fabrique Nationale FAL 7.62 mm automatic rifle, and a contract was subsequently signed with FN Herstal to permit licensed production of the rifle at the government's Fbrica de Armas in Itajub, Minas Gerais state. (This plant, like other government-owned arms factories, was later placed under the control of IMBEL.) At least 200,000 FALs of various types were produced between 1964 and 1983, and production continues at Itajub. IMBEL also makes two 5.56 mm versions of the FAL, the MD2 (with folding butt) and MD3 (with a fixed plastic butt). 18 Handgun production at Itajub began in 1965, with a domestic copy of the .45 cal. Colt M1911A1 pistolthe sidearm provided to Brazilian troops in the BEF. In 1975, following a decision by the Brazilian Army to convert all sidearms to 9 mm ammunition, the M1911A1 was reconfigured to fire this bullet; the resulting weapon, the IMBEL M973 pistol, is still in production, with some 50,000 units already in service. 19 The Brazilian military also employs another 9 mm pistol, the 15-shot Beretta Model 92, which is manufactured under license from Beretta of Italy by Forjas Taurus SA, a leading Brazilian producer of pistols and revolvers. 20 Taurus is a major supplier of handguns to the domestic U.S. market, shipping some 230,000 pistols and revolvers to the United States in 1993 alone. 21 Brazilian firms produce several types of machine guns and submachine guns for both domestic use and export. In the 1950s, the government-owned Indstria Nacional de Armas (INA) of Sao Paulo began production of the .45 cal. Madsen Model 1950 submachine gun (also Model 1953) under license from Dansk Industri Syndikat of Denmark; IMBEL's Fbrica de Itajub later developed a 9 mm variant, which remains in production. 22 Another European submachine gun, the 9 mm Beretta Model 12, is produced under license by Forjas Taurus. An indigenously designed submachine gun, the 9 mm Uru, was developed by Olympio Vieira de Mello in the late 1970s, and a private firm, Mekanika Indstria e Comrcio Ltda., was set up to produce it. Mekanika also undertook production of the de Mello-designed Uirapuru machine gun. Much admired for their simplicity and ease of operation, the Uirapuru and Uru have been sold to foreign customers as well as to the Brazilian armed forces. 23 As in Argentina, Brazilian firms produce a variety of other light weapons. These include a number of light mortars (60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm), a copy of the U.S. 57 mm M18A1 recoilless rifle, and a copy of the U.S. 3.5 in. M20A1 rocket launcher. In addition, Hydroar SA of Sao Paulo manu- factures a backpack-type flamethrower, the LC T1 M1. 24 Combat grenades of various types (including hand grenades and anti-tank rifle grenades), plus a full range of mortar shells, are produced by the Companhia de Explosivos Valparaiba (CEV) of Rio de Janeiro. 25 Lastly, antipersonnel land mines are manufactured by Quimica Tupan SA, a company founded by retired Bra- zilian military officers in 1957. 26 Chile Although building on a much leaner industrial base than Argentina and Brazil, Chile has succeeded in establishing a small but vibrant weapons industry capable of producing a variety of light and medium weapons. Most of this activity is concentrated in the Army's Fbricas y Maestranzas del Ejrcito (FAMAE), located in Santiago. Greatly expanded during the 1970s, when many nations suspended arms deliveries to Chile in response to the violent overthrow of the Allende government, FAMAE now makes handguns, rifles, submachine guns, mortars, and grenades. Several private firms, most notably Industrias Cardoen SA of Santiago, are also active in the light weapons field. 27 In the 1960s, FAMAE joined Argentina and Brazil in producing the FN FAL rifle under license from Fabrique Nationale Herstal. In the early 1980s, however, FAMAE obtained a license from the Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft of Switzerland to produce the SG540 series assault rifle. FAMAE currently produces two variants of this weapon: the SG540, designed for 5.56 mm ammunition, and the SG542, designed for 7.62 mm ammunition. 28 FAMAE also produces a .38 cal. "Special" revolver and a submachine gun based on the SG540, the 9 mm SAF.29 These, and other FAMAEproduced weapons, were reportedly part of an 11-ton shipment of Chilean munitions sent to Croatia in November 1992 in violation of the U.N. arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia. 30 (This shipment was not actually completed, as the plane carrying the weapons was forced down in Budapest while on route to Zagreb.) In addition to small arms, FAMAE produces a variety of mortars, mortar shells, and land mines. Current production includes the 60 mm Commando mortar, the FAMAE 81 mm mortar, and the FAMAE 120 mm mortar; ammunition for these mortars is produced by FAMAE under license from Thomson-Brandt Armements of France. 31 Industrias Cardoen, a company with roots in the mining business (which employs large quantities of explosives), manufactures a range of grenades, bombs, and mines. Grenade production includes the Cardoen offensive/defensive hand grenade, the Mk-2 hand grenade, and the "Mini" hand grenade. 32 Cardoen also produces a number of cluster bombs, some using materials and technology obtained through illicit means from the United States; in 1993 the company (along with founder Carlos Cardoen) was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for illegally incorporating U.S.-origin materials and components in some 24,000 cluster bombs sold to Iraq in the mid-1980s. 33 The company now operates as Metalnor, SA. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is not a country one normally associates with weapons production, but, since 1948, it has housed a small arms factory at San Cristobal. Established by the exiled Hungarian arms designer Pal Kiraly, the Armeria San Cristobal has produced the Beretta Model 1938 submachine gun and a Kiraly-designed automatic rifle, the .30 cal. Model 2 Cristobal. An estimated 200,000 of the Model 2 have been produced, with some absorbed by the Dominican military and the rest sold to other countries in the region, including Cuba. 34 There is also an unconfirmed report that the Armeria San Cristobal undertook manufacture of the U.S.-designed Ingram Model 10 submachine gun in the 1980s. 35 Mexico has long produced rifles and other light weapons but has not developed a large and diversified military industry. The state-owned Fbrica Nacional de Armas manufactures light weapons only, and private arms production is essentially limited to small arms and light armored vehicles. Most of Mexico's other weapons are imported, either from the United States or the major European suppliers. 36 The Mexican government ordered large quantities of Mauser-type rifles from Germany in the years leading up to World War I, and then, in 1913, began producing them at the Fbrica Nacional in Mexico City. Bolt-action Mauser rifles were produced until the 1950s, when the Mexican government sought to equip its forces with automatic weapons. 37 Beginning in 1968, the Fbrica Nacional produced the 7.62 mm FN FAL automatic rifle under license from Fabrique Nationale Herstal. A decade later, Mexico acquired a license from Heckler and Koch of Germany to produce the 7.62 mm G3 rifle, and this remains in production today. 38 In addition, several types of light weapons have been produced by Productos Mendoza SA of Mexico City, including the 9 mm Model HM-3 submachine gun and the .30 cal. RM2 light machine gun. 39 Peru, like Chile, has attempted to establish a diversified munitions industry serving all three military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force), albeit with limited success. The most notable of these enterprises is the Navy's Servicios Industriales de la Marina (SIMA), established in 1950. In addition to assembling naval craft of various sorts, SIMA maintains a small arms factorythe Centro de Fabricacon de Armasat the Callao Naval Base, near Lima. 40 This facility, known as SIMA-CEFA, produces a family of 9 mm submachine guns, including the MGP-79A, MGP-87, and MGP-84 "Mini." These weapons have been employed by paramilitary forces and security guards in Peru, and by equivalent units in other, unnamed Latin American countries. 41 Other Countries Weapons production in the other Latin American countries is largely confined to land mines, small naval craft, and ammunition. 42 However, the Compaa Anonima Venezolana de Industrias Militares (CAVIM) of Vene- zuela has assembled FN FAL automatic rifles (using components supplied by Fabrique Nationale Herstal), and produced a number of handguns under license from FN and U.S. firms. 44 Also, the state-owned arms industry in Colombia, Industrias Militar (INDUMIL), manufactures .32 and .38 cal. revolvers and is planning to produce a 5.56 mm automatic riflepresumably a variant of the Israeli Galilfor the Colombian armed forces. 45 Finally, the Guatemalan army is reportedly assembling the Galil assault rifle (under license from Israel Military Industries) at the military complex of Santa Cruz in the Alta Verapaz Department. |
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Jalisco Lancer
Sultan
Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 21-Apr-2005 at 00:02 |
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THROUGHOUT THE Cold War era, the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union (and some of their close allies) provided large quantities of arms and ammunition to Latin American military and police forces in the form of grants and sales. Such activities, usually described as "military aid" or "security assistance," were viewed by the supplying countries as an aspect of their foreign policy rather than as a commercial undertakingeven if they received compensation for the arms. 1 This aid constituted a major source of small arms and light weapons to Latin American governments during the Cold War period, and many of these weapons remain in active service. While grant military assistance has large- ly disappeared (except foraid associated with anti-drug efforts), Wash- ington and Moscow continue to supply arms to Latin America through governmental sales channels. During the Cold War, the two superpowers viewed these arms-supply programs as a means of strengthening the self-defense capabilities of friendly states in the region (for both external and internal defense) and of acquiring political influence, especially among military elites. In some cases, such transfers were also used as a payoff for political favors (as, for example, when Washington supplied arms to El Salvador and Honduras in return for their support of the Nicaraguan contras) or as a means of funneling arms to insurgent and revolutionary forces in the region (as when Moscow supplied weapons to Cuba for transhipment to guerrilla forces in other countries). Together, these motives generated tens of billions of dollars' worth of U.S. and Soviet arms transfers to Latin America between 1950 and 1990. 2 U.S. Military Grants and Sales For obvious historic and geographical reasons, the United States enjoyed the closest military ties with Latin American governments during this period, providing all but a few of them with arms and ammunition. Latin American nations first became eligible for military assistance in the early 1950s, following passage of the Mutual Security Act of 1951. Under this, and subsequent legislation, the U.S. government was authorized to provide arms, ammunition, and military training to friendly governments in Latin America in return for a promise to make their nations' strategic raw materials available for exploitation by the United States and to cooperate in hemispheric defense against the Soviet Union. Over time, a number of channels and mechanisms were established by the U.S. government to provide such assistance. These included outright grants of arms and equipment through the Military Assistance Program (MAP), the delivery of surplus U.S. weaponry under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, and the provision of government-backed credits toward the purchase of U.S. arms through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Still other channels were utilized by the Reagan Administration, including the use of MAP funds to pay for arms supplied to Latin America through the FMS program (so-called MAP Merger funds) and the waiver of some payments owed to the U.S. government for FMS purchases. 3 In the early days of the Cold War, when it was assumed that any future threat to the region from the Soviet Union would take the form of air and naval attack, the bulk of U.S. aid to Latin America consisted of major weapons systemsships, tanks, aircraft, etc.intended for defense against external assault. Following the Cuban Revolution, however, the emphasis of U.S. aid programs shifted toward internal defense against revolutionary guerrilla warfare. 4 Thus, in 1965, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara testified that the principal objective of the military assistance program in Latin America was to aid "in the continued development of indigenous military and paramilitary forces capable of providing, in conjunction with the police and other security forces, the needed domestic security." 5 In accordance with this outlook, the United States provided Latin American military forces with large quantities of light weapons and counterinsurgency gear; similar aid was also provided to Latin American police forces through the Public Safety program of the Agency for International Development. 6 According to the Defense Security Assistance Agency, the United States provided Latin American governments with $660 million worth of arms and equipment under the Military Assistance Program between 1950 and 1979. In addition, the United States supplied these countries with $230 million worth of "surplus" U.S. weapons under the Excess Defense Articles program, along with $960 million in credits toward the purchase of U.S. arms through the Foreign Military Sales programbringing total U.S. arms aid (excluding training and purely commercial arms sales) for 1950-1979 to $1.86 billion (see Table 3.1).7 While a large share of these expenditures were devoted to transfers of major military systems like tanks and aircraft, a significant portion was allocated to transfers of small arms and light weapons. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense has not made available precise figures on U.S. deliveries of light weapons to Latin America via the MAP and FMS programs during this period. It has acknowledged, however, that the U.S. government supplied a wide range of small arms and light infantry weapons to military forces in the region (see Table 3.2). Some additional data on U.S. aid deliveries during this period is available from other sources. According to Rifles of the World, U.S. deliveries of the M1 carbine and the M1 Garand rifle included 30,000 units to Argentina, 30,750 to Paraguay, 33,000 to Uruguay, and 55,670 to Venezuela. 8 Further evidence of U.S. largesse is found in data on the arms inventories of the Latin American militaries, which are replete with U.S. handguns, rifles, machine guns, mortars, and similar systems. 9 Table 3.1 U.S. Military Aid and Arms Sales to Latin America, 1950-1993 (current U.S. dollars in millions; by fiscal year) 1950-1979 1980-1993 MAP Grants EDA Grants FMS Sales Total MAP Grants EDA Grants# FMS Sales Total Argentina 34.0 4.4 200.3 238.7 15.0 - 53.3 68.3 Belize - - - - 0.5 - 3.6 4.1 Bolivia 33.4 10.1 2.1 45.6 13.3 - 90.5 103.8 Brazil 207.2 83.1 289.7 580.0 - - 393.4 393.4 Chile 80.5 24.0 190.3 294.8 3.4 - 26.7 30.1 Colombia 83.2 17.9 39.6 140.7 92.0 - 385.0 477.0 Costa Rica 0.9 0.1 1.5 2.5 - - 29.4 29.4 Cuba 8.6 5.5 4.5 18.6 - - - - Dom. Rep. 21.7 3.9 2.3 27.9 - - 31.1 31.1 Ecuador 32.0 10.4 91.6 134.0 8.6 - 79.5 85.1 El Salvador 5.0 2.5 3.5 11.0 69.0 * 897.3 966.3 Guatemala 16.3 6.7 32.4 55.4 - - 32.6 32.6 Haiti 2.4 0.2 1.3 3.9 - - 3.3 3.3 Honduras 5.6 2.0 9.9 17.5 19.8 1.8 418.5 440.1 Jamaica 1.1 * 0.2 1.3 14.9 - 32.6 47.5 Mexico * * 21.6 21.6 43.0 - 172.7 215.7 Nicaragua 7.7 5.2 5.3 18.2 0.4 - - 0.4 Panama 4.6 1.7 5.3 11.6 - - 31.6 31.6 Paraguay 9.5 11.2 0.7 21.4 - - 0.3 0.3 Peru 75.0 20.3 186.3 281.6 - - 47.3 47.3 Uruguay 41.0 20.4 19.4 80.8 5.0 - 14.8 19.8 Venezuela * 0.3 244.7 245.0 - - 713.7 713.7 Other 0.1 0.1 29.9 38.4 68.3 Totals 669.6 229.9 1,352- .6 2,252- .2 1,574.1 1.8 3,495- .6 5,071.5 (Note: totals may not add due to rounding) *=less than $50,000 MAP = Military Assistance Program #=no grants in 1986-1993 EDA = Excess Defense Articles deliveries (acquisition value) FMS = Foreign Military Sales program agreements Source: DSAA, Foreign Military Sales Facts 1993 and earlier editions. The United States also provided large quantities of small arms and anti-riot systems to Latin American police forces through the State Department's Office of Public Safety (OPS). In Brazil, for instance, OPS provided the police with 36 patrol cars, 52 jeeps, 800,000 rounds of .38 cal. pistol ammunition, 540 riot batons, and 20,336 tear-gas grenades between 1959 and 1970. Similar equipment was provided to the police in Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.10 All told, the OPS spent $56.6 million in support of Latin American police forces in 1961-1973.11 Table 3.2 Select U.S. Light Weapons Transfers to Latin America, Fiscal Years 1960-1979 (x = at least some copies of this weapon provided) .45 cal. pistol M1, M14 rifle* M1, M2 carbine M1,M3 s.m.g. .30 cal. m.g. .50 cal. m.g. M7,M79 gren. lncher .60mm mortar .81mm mortar Argentina x x x x Bolivia x x x x x x x x Brazil x x x x x x x Chile x x x x x x x x x Colombia x x x x x x x x x Costa Rica x x x x Cuba x x x x Dom. Rep. x x x Ecuador x x x x x x x El Salvador x x x x x x x x Guatemala x x x x x x x x x Haiti x x x x x Honduras x x x x x x x x Jamaica x x Mexico x x x x Nicaragua x x x x x Panama x x x x Paraguay x x x x x x Peru x x x x x x Trin.&Tob. x x Uruguay x x x x x x x x x Venezuela x x x x m.g.= machine gun s.m.g.= submachine gun *may include other models Source: U.S. Department of Defense Given the fact that the police in a number of these countries were tied to quasigovernmental "death squads," it is almost certain that at least some of this equipment was passed on to personnel engaged in "disappearances" and executions. 12 In the mid-1970s, the U.S. Congress began to pay closer attention to human rights problems in Latin America, as one civilian government after another was replaced by a military dictatorship, and as reports of torture, disappearances, and other abuses became more widespread. In response to these reports, Congress imposed a number of statutory restraints on U.S. aid to the armed forces of certain nations with a particularly egregious human rights record. Arms transfers to Chile were banned under Section 406 of the International Security Assistance Act of 1976; transfers to Argentina were banned under Section 620B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended in 1977); and military aid to Uruguay was terminated under Section 503A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1978. Several other nations, including Brazil and Guatemala, were barred from receiving arms sales credits under the Foreign Military Sales program. In addition, Congress voted in 1974 (under Section 660 of the Foreign Assistance Act) to terminate the Public Safety program and to bar direct U.S. assistance to foreign police forces (except with respect to antinarcotics matters13). As a result of these restrictions and a general desire on the part of Congress to reduce U.S. military aid outlays, the MAP and EDA program began to decline in the late 1970s. MAP aid to Latin America dropped from $5.7 million in fiscal year 1976 and $3.1 million in 1977 to a mere $201,000 in 1978 and $369,000 in 1979.14 This trend was reversed, however, when the Reagan Administration came to power in the early 1980s. For a variety of reasons, President Reagan and his advisers sought to increase the level of U.S. military aid to friendly states in Latin America. The first of these was a by-product of U.S. efforts to support the Nicaraguan contras. In order to obtain the assistance of El Salvador, Hon- duras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala in contra support operations, the Reagan Administration agreed to provide these countries with increased military aid through the MAP, MAP Merger, and FMS credit programs.15 As a result, total U.S. military aid to these four countries rose from only $9.2 million in fiscal year 1980 to $119 million in 1983, $280.8 million in 1984, $212.1 million in 1985, $207.9 million in 1986, and $176.5 million in 1987; all told, the United States provided them with $1.1 billion in arms and equipment during 1982-1987 (see Table 3.3). 16 Much of this aid, moreover, was devoted to small arms and light weapons. El Salvador, for instance, was given 11,918 M16 rifles and 644 M79 grenade launchers during this period, while Honduras received 4,500 M-16s. 17 (For more on this effort, see chapter 6.) The second factor leading to an increase in U.S. military aid in the 1980s was the growing concern in Washington over illegal drug trafficking from Latin America to the United States. In order to enhance the capacity of the affected Latin American governments to combat drug trafficking in their territories, the U.S. government established a number of channels for the supply of military equipmentincluding small arms and light weaponsto the police and armed forces of these countries. 18 Under Section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act, the President was given special authority to transfer arms and other equipment in U.S. military stockpiles (including small arms and ammunition) to friendly governments in Latin America for anti-narcotics purposes. Using this authority, the United States has supplied (through fiscal year 1993) arms and equipment worth $20 million to Colombia, $17 million to Mexico, $5 million to Jamaica, $7.8 million to Bolivia, $3 million to Ecuador, and $500,000 to Belize.19 In addition, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru were awarded several million dollars in supplemental FMS credits for anti-narcotics purposes in fiscal years 1990-1992.20 Typically, equipment provided under these pro- grams includes helicopters, spotter planes, communications gear, and light weapons. Colombia, for instance, was given several helicopters, 10,000 M-14 rifles, 440 M79 grenade launchers, 331 M60 machine guns, 1,240 pistols Table 3.3 U.S. Military Aid to Central America, 1982-1987 (current U.S. dollars in millions; by fiscal year) 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Total Costa Rica 2.0 2.5 9.0 11.0 2.4 1.5 28.4 El Salvador 70.1 80.0 195.3 134.8 120.4 110.0 710.6 Guatemala 0 0 0 0 5.0 5.0 10.0 Hounduras 30.3 36.5 76.5 66.3 80.1 60.0 349.7 Total 102.4 119.0 280.8 212.1 207.9 176.5 1,098.7 Includes Military Assistance Program (MAP) grants, MAP Merger Funds, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program credits. Source: DSAA, Foreign Military Sales Facts 1990. and revolvers, and a large quantity of small arms ammunition. 21 Another channel for providing U.S. military equipment to Latin America was established in 1989, when, under Section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act, the Department of Defense was authorized to transfer surplus arms and equipment to friendly states in the region for anti-narcotics purposes through a revived Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. Recipients of small arms under this program have included Belize, Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana. Another new feature of the EDA program, established by Congress in 1990, allows for the transfer of surplus U.S. equipment to friendly countries for general military "modernization" purposes; recipients of small arms under this authority (Section 519 of the Foreign Assistance Act) have included Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Uruguay .22 These programs aside, Washington has eliminated most forms of grant military assistance to Latin American countries. However, the U.S. government continues to sell a wide range of military products to these nations through the Foreign Military Sales program. (For a breakdown of these figures by country, see Table 3.1.) All told, FMS sales to Latin America totalled $3.5 billion in fiscal years 1980-1993. To facilitate these sales, Washington provided Latin American governments with $885 million in military credits during this period. 23 Much of this expenditure was, of course, devoted to transfers of major weapons systems; as in the past, however, a significant portion was allocated to small arms and light weapons. El Salvador acquired 32,474 M16 rifles and 266,410 grenades through FMS channels in 1980- 1993, while Honduras received 8,607 M16s and 22,668 grenades (see Table 3.4). 24 Soviet Arms Transfers Like the United States, the Soviet Union provided arms and military services to its allies in Latin America in accordance with its foreign policy objectives. In the Soviet case, however, such aid was highly concentrated in a handful of countriesprincipally Cuba, Nicaragua, and Peru.25 According to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), the Soviet Union provided these three countries with an estimated $15 billion of arms, military equipment, and military services between 1964 and 1988 (in current dollars), with Cuba receiving $11.5 billion, Peru $1.3 billion, and Nicaragua $2.2 billion.26 As in the case of U.S. security assistance programs, much of this largess was devoted to major military systems; here Table 3.4 Deliveries of Selected Arms to Latin America Under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, Fiscal Years 1980-1993 (Quantities of items delivered) M1911 pistol 9 mmpistol M16A1,2 rifle grenade launcher M203 M79 hand grenade M67 M14 Barbados 632 Belize 24 500 18 2,160 95 Bolivia 745 1,847 144 18 1,007 Colombia 2,732 400 11 195 43,990 Costa Rica 1,000 130 4,750 140 Dom.Rep. 1,500 1,001 1,662 720 81 120 Ecuador 148 1,595 200 1,230 El Salvador 225 1,675 32,474 1,413 1.704 266,410 96 Grenada 32 90 10 420 Honduras 1,116 8,607 651 18 22,668 1,139 Mexico 5,000 Panama 100 57 6,000 Peru 30 734 95 Others 68 14 39 1,326 Totals 9,041 6,499 52,698 3,449 2,026 344,956 2,337 Source: Defense Security Assistance Agency, data supplied to the Federation of American Scientists under the Freedom of Information Act. too, however, a considerable amount of small arms and light weapons were included. Moscow also provided Cuba with light weapons intended for transhipment to revolutionary movements in other Latin American countries, including Nicaragua, Grenada, and El Salvador. 27 Unfortunately, the data on Soviet military assistance to Latin America is less detailed and precise than that available on U.S. aid. The Soviets did not enact a Freedom of Information Act or publish statistics of the sort available from U.S. government agencies. In addition, there is some doubt as to the accuracy of the ACDA figures above, given the tendency of U.S. government analysts to overstate the value of Soviet arms transfers when calculated in dollars. 28 Furthermore, an unknown percentage of the arms supplied by Moscow to Cuba were intended for use by Cuban forces engaged in Soviet-backed military operations in Angola and Ethiopia. 29 It is also impossible to determine what portion of Soviet arms transfers to Latin America consisted of direct grants, what portion consisted of pure sales (for hard currencies), and what portion was devoted to subsidized sales (that is, sales made in local currencies, at deflated prices, or at concessional interest rates). We do know that Moscow was less inclined than Washington to provide arms at no cost to its allies and clients in Latin America, but more likely to sell arms at very low interest rates or to accept local currencies or bartered goods in compensation. 30 That the Soviet Union (and its allies in Eastern Europe) provided large quantities of medium and heavy weapons to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Peru is beyond dispute, as these items are relatively easy to track and identify. 31 What is more difficult to determine is the nature and extent of Soviet supplies of small arms and light weapons. Certainly it is safe to assume that the military and paramilitary forces of Cuba and Nicaragua (during the Sandinista period) were equipped with a full range of Soviet (or Eastern European) rifles, machine guns, mortars, and so ona process that would have entailed the transfer of large numbers of such systems. (In 1989, the Cuban military was comprised of 180,000 active-duty troops plus 130,000 reservists and 20,000 internal security personnel; the Nicaraguan military was comprised of 80,000 regular troops plus 32,000 actively serving reservists. 32) In addition, the Soviet Union provided some light weapons to Guyana and Peru, but these countries also obtained munitions from other sources, and so it is not possible to estimate the total Soviet contribution to their inventories. 33 Although, in most cases, we cannot calculate the full extent of Soviet light weapons transfers to Latin American countries, we do have considerable data on such transfers to one country: Grenada. Between 1979 and 1983, while that country was governed by Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement, the Soviet Union gave Cuba large quantities of small arms for transhipment to Grenada. According to documents acquired by the U.S. military following its October 1983 invasion of the island, Moscow agreed in 1979 to provide Bishop (via Cuba) with 3,400 rifles, 200 machine guns, 100 shoulder-fired rocket launchers, and a variety of light cann on and mortars. Follow-up agreements in 1981 and 1982 led to further deliveries of such weapons, and, by the time U.S. forces arrived in 1983, they collected some 9,000 rifles and machine guns plus 5 million rounds of ammunitionthis for a country with a population of 95,000 and a military of 1,000. 34 Soviet military aid to Cuba and Nicaragua continued during the early years of the Gorbachev period but came to a halt as the USSR was overtaken by political and economic turmoil. Today, Russian arms firms sell their wares in Latin America as in other Third World locations, but such transactions are on strictly commercial basis and fall far short of Soviet deliveries in the 1970s and 1980s. Thus, according to the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, sales to Latin America plunged from $7.5 billion in 1987-1990 (approximately $1.9 billion per year) to $900 million in 1991-1994 ($225 million per year).35 Other Suppliers Except for those transfers conducted by United States and the Soviet Union, most of the arms deliveries to Latin America originating outside of the region have been of a purely commercial nature, and so are discussed under that heading (see chapter 4). However, a number of European countries have conducted modest military assistance programs in the region. This aid, for the most part, has consisted of small arms and light weapons provided to the police and paramilitary forces of former colonies, especially in the immediate post-independence era. Although data on such transfers is scarce, the legacy of these programs can be detected in the entries for light weapons in the arms inventories of particular countries British weapons, for instance, are prevalent in former colonies like Jamaica, Barbados, and Belize. In addition, several countriesnotably France, Britain, and the Netherlandsstill possess colonial territories in the region, and naturally tend to provide their forces there with weapons of the type carried by police and security forces in their homeland. |
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