$Unique_ID{COW00175} $Pretitle{273} $Title{Argentina Chapter 5C. Operational Command, Deployment, and Equipment} $Subtitle{} $Author{Phyllis Greene Walker} $Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army} $Subject{air argentine army naval military included service first aires buenos} $Date{1987} $Log{} Country: Argentina Book: Argentina, A Country Study Author: Phyllis Greene Walker Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army Date: 1987 Chapter 5C. Operational Command, Deployment, and Equipment In 1985 the armed forces were divided into three services, the Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), the Argentine Navy (Armada Argentina), and the Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina). The air force was the youngest of the three branches of service, having been given its own command independent from the army in 1945. Included under the command of the navy were naval aviation and the marines. The army also had a small air wing. According to the proposed reorganization, two of Argentina's paramilitary forces, the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmeria Nacional) and the Argentine Naval Prefecture (Prefectura Naval Argentina), fell under the direct authority of the Ministry of Defense. The third force, the Federal Police, remained subordinate to the Ministry of Interior (see The Ministry of Interior and Internal Security, this ch.). Each of the armed services was commanded by a chief of staff who was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In August 1985 Brigadier General Hector Luis Rios Erenu was army chief of staff; Rear Admiral Ramon Antonio Arosa, the navy chief of staff; and Major General Ernesto Horacio Crespo, the air force chief of staff. For the first time in Argentine history, an air force officer-Major General Teodoro Waldner, the former air force chief of staff-was in command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (As of August 1985 Rios Erenu and Waldner were soon expected to be promoted to major general and lieutenant general, respectively-ranks that corresponded with their new billets.) These command appointments had been in effect since early March 1985, when new chiefs of the army, air force, and of the joint chiefs of staff were named by President Alfonsin in the second major military shake-up of his administration. The first crisis in July 1984 had led to the resignation of the army chief of staff, a command whose loyalty was critical in maintaining civilian authority over the armed forces. For 1983, the latest year for which complete published data were available, the International Institute for Strategic Studies' The Military Balance, 1984-1985 estimated the strength of the Argentine armed forces at some 153,000 full-time professional soldiers, a small percentage of a total population of about 30 million. These personnel were complemented by some 108,000 youth fulfilling their obligatory military service and another 250,000 reservists (see Conscription and the Reserves, this ch.). By 1984, however, the number of youth inducted into military service was believed to have dropped to fewer than 50,000, evidence of the drastic measures imposed to cut back the military budget. Based on efforts by the Alfonsin administration to constrain defense spending, it was unlikely that total military manpower would increase substantially, if at all, during the final half of the decade. The Argentine Army In 1983 the Argentine Army was composed of some 100,000 active-duty professional soldiers who were complemented by some 80,000 conscripts. By mid-1985 the number of professional troops was believed to have dropped to some 65,000 personnel, primarily because of budget cuts. The number of conscripts completing their year of military service with the army also had been reduced to between 32,000 and 35,000. The army's traditional dual mission-that of guaranteeing national defense against foreign threats and conserving domestic peace-remained unchanged in the mid-1980s. The commanding officer of the Argentine Army in mid-1985, Brigadier General Rios Erenu, was the third individual to hold that post since the inauguration of President Alfonsin. He was scheduled for promotion to major general, a rank corresponding to his post as army chief of staff. Before his appointment to that position in March 1985, Rios Erenu had served as the commander of the Third Army Corps. Even though he was known as a "young officer," his appointment had forced the retirement of six more senior generals, making him the highest-ranking army officer. He was reportedly associated with the legalist faction within the armed forces. Some Argentines tied his record to activities carried out during the so-called dirty war; nevertheless, he was noted as the first army general to have received in his garrison representatives of the presidential commission investigating the abuses under the previous military government (see The War Against Subversion, this ch.). The headquarters of the Argentine Army's general staff was located at the Libertador Building, which was the site of many military ceremonies in downtown Buenos Aires. Army troops deployed throughout the country were distributed among five military regions and four army corps commands. The bulk of army troops were deployed in the vicinity of Buenos Aires, where some 40 percent of the nation's population lived. The most important army base was the Campo de Mayo, located on the western outskirts of Buenos Aires. In October 1984 the First Army Corps, which was headquartered at the Palermo Barracks in downtown Buenos Aires, was disbanded by presidential decree, along with other smaller units of military police, "electronics operations companies," and "advance intelligence organizations" that were based in the cities of Buenos Aires, Bahia Blanca, and Fray Luis Beltran. Command over troops deployed in the territory of the first military region was assumed by the Fifth Army Corps. The territory, formerly under the First Army Corps' command, included the city of Buenos Aires and almost all of Buenos Aires Province. The Argentine government noted that the corps was dissolved for budgetary reasons, yet there was some speculation that the political activities of its commanding officers might have been a factor in the government's decision. Personnel garrisoned at the Palermo Barracks traditionally played a significant role in Argentine military politics. The Fifth Army Corps, headquartered in Bahia Blanca, previously held command over troops stationed in southern Buenos Aires Province and the country's three southern provinces-Rio Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz-as well as the National Territory of Tierra del Fuego. Each of the military regions under the command of the three remaining army corps was much smaller in terms of territory. The Second Army Corps, headquartered in Rosario, commanded troops deployed in the second military region, encompassing the provinces of Santa Fe, Chaco, Formosa and, in the region of Mesopotamia, the provinces of Entre Rios, Corrientes, and Misiones on the eastern bank of the Rio Parana. The Army Third Corps had its headquarters in the city of Cordoba and was responsible for troops deployed in the third military region, made up of the provinces of Cordoba, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, La Rioja, and San Juan. The Fourth Army Corps was headquartered in Santa Rosa, La Pampa Province, and commanded all troops deployed in that province as well as those in Mendoza, San Luis, and Neuquen-territory corresponding to the fourth military region. Brigadier generals customarily held the commands of the army corps. There was no definitive structure with respect to the kinds of military units assigned to each army corps. Infantry and cavalry brigades were the largest troop formations in the Argentine Army and were usually composed of three regiments. In the early 1980s major formations that were under the command of the First Army Corps included an armored cavalry brigade and a motorized infantry brigade, in addition to the Buenos Aires detachment at Palermo Barracks made up of the General San Martin Mounted Escort Regiment-known as the San Martin Grenadiers-and the First Infantry Regiment, known as the Patricios. Both of the units at Palermo were part of the presidential guard; their functions were largely ceremonial. It was unclear in 1985 what impact the disbanding of the First Army Corps-and subsequent incorporation of the first military region into the command of the Fifth Army Corps-might have had on the distribution of army units formerly under its command. Other major troop formations in the Argentine Army included one mechanized infantry and two motorized infantry brigades, three mountain infantry brigades, a jungle infantry brigade, and an airborne infantry brigade. Efforts were made to organize two additional motorized infantry brigades during 1983. An airborne cavalry brigade, the first of its kind in the Argentine force structure, was expected to have been formed by 1985 but, as was the case with the motorized brigades, it remained uncertain what effect budget cutbacks had on the plan. In August 1984 the Ministry of Defense announced its intention to cut the number of army brigades to six. Other major army units included four independent cavalry regiments-three of which were horsed, some 16 artillery battalions, at least five air defense battalions, and an aviation battalion. Field support was provided by the army's five independent engineering battalions, as well as by the various logistics battalions that were assigned to the army corps. Major equipment in service with the Argentine Army in 1985 included some 150 TAM main Argentine battle tanks that were produced in Argentina under the supervision of the armed forces' DGFM (see Military Industry and Exports, this ch.). An undetermined additional number of TAMs were believed to be on order. In 1985 the army still counted in its inventory over 100 United States-manufactured M-4 Sherman Firefly medium tanks, some of which had been in service for nearly 40 years. The TAM medium tanks were slowly replacing the old Sherman models still in use. Also included among the army's armored vehicles were some 60 French-manufactured AMX-13 light tanks and some 300 AMX-VTP mechanized infantry combat vehicles. There was also a domestically manufactured infantry combat vehicle, the VCPT (Vehiculo de Combate Transporte de Personal), modeled on the TAM, of which some 150 were in service with the army. The principal armored personnel carriers in the army's inventory included over 100 tracked M-113s and some 80 of the Swiss-manufactured wheeled MOWAG Roland. The standard light artillery weapon used by the army in 1985 was the M-56 105mm pack howitzer, which was manufactured in Argentina under license with the Italian firm of OTO Melara. During the early 1980s Argentina was also producing two additional models of howitzers, the M-77 and the M-81 155mm towed guns, which had a top carriage similar to that of the French 155mm Mk F3 self-propelled guns-also in use by the army. Also still in use in the mid-1980s were about a dozen M-101 105mm and M-2 155mm howitzers that were manufactured in the United States during World War II. Antiarmor and air defense weapons used by the Argentine Army included the Bantam, Cobra, Mathogo, and Mamba anti-tank guided weapons and the Tigercat, Blowpipe, and Roland surface-to-air missiles. Army Aviation, as the air battalion was called, was composed primarily of helicopters and small, fixed-wing transports but also included aircraft used for observation and training missions. The total inventory of the aviation command, including items being delivered, was estimated at close to 300 aircraft in late 1983. Despite defense spending cutbacks, the Argentine government was still accepting delivery in 1985 on military equipment ordered after the 1982 South Atlantic War. The Argentine Navy The number of professional personnel belonging to the Argentine Navy was estimated in 1983 at some 36,000 men, including some 10,000 who belonged to the Marines (Infanteria de Marina) and 3,000 who belonged to Naval Aviation. By 1985 the total number of regular naval personnel had dropped to 28,000. Although the number of conscript personnel carrying out their required two years of service with the navy was some 18,000 in 1983, their number also had dropped to only 7,000 by 1985, primarily because of budget cuts. Personnel assigned to the Argentine Naval Prefecture, a coastal patrol force, were transferred to the authority of the Ministry of Defense in October 1984. Unlike the commanding officers of the army and air force, the navy's chief of staff in mid-1985, Rear Admiral Ramon Antonio Arosa, was the same person appointed shortly after Alfonsin assumed office. The command headquarters of the Argentine Navy was located at the Libertad Building in the city of Buenos Aires. Naval forces in mid-1985 were divided among four naval zones that corresponded to the coastal and riverine territory incorporated in the first, second, and fifth military regions. The Puerto Belgrano naval base, located in southern Buenos Aires Province near Bahia Blanca, was the Argentine Navy's most important facility. In April 1985 a new naval zone, named the Puerto Belgrano Naval Zone, was created there as part of the navy's reorganization. Other major bases of the Argentine surface fleet included installations at Darsena Norte, in the province of Buenos Aires; Rio Santiago, also in Buenos Aires Province; Comodoro Rivadavia, in Chubut Province; and Ushuaia, in the National Territory of Tierra del Fuego. The navy's submarine fleet was based in Buenos Aires Province at Mar del Plata. Most vessels in the Argentine fleet were constructed in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), France, Britain, or the United States. Argentina also had an advanced shipbuilding program that during the early 1980s even included plans for the possible construction of a nuclear-powered submarine (see Nuclear Development and Capabilities, this ch.). Despite budget cutbacks and the commitment of future monies for equipment contracts already signed, it was anticipated that the Argentine Navy would continue to spend considerable amounts on procurement. According to material reportedly published in late 1984 by the United States political risk analysis and market research firm Frost and Sullivan, Argentina was expected to spend some US$500 million for the acquisition of naval vessels and another US$736 million on the purchase of new tactical missiles between 1984 and 1988. Vessels in service with the Argentine Navy in 1985 included four submarines-two Type 209s, and two Type TR-1700s-all of West German design. The newest of these were the Type TR-1700 diesel-electric models, the Santa Cruz and the San Juan, which were delivered in late 1984 and early 1985. The Type TR-1700s were said to be the most technically advanced conventional submarines in service anywhere in the mid-1980s. Four additional Type TR-1700s were scheduled to be built in Argentina under a licensing agreement with the manufacturer, Thyssen Noordseewerke. The keel of the first of these was laid down at a Buenos Aires shipyard in October 1983. In the mid-1980s Argentina enjoyed the distinction of being one of two Latin American naval powers that had an aircraft carrier. Argentina's sole carrier, the 25 de Mayo, had been in service with two other countries since first being launched in the mid-1940s. This was the Argentine fleet's second aircraft carrier. The first, the Independencia, had been acquired in 1958 and withdrawn from service in the late 1960s when the former British Colossus-class 25 de Mayo was transferred to Argentina from the Netherlands. The carrier was maintained in excellent repair, although it was reported to have persistent engineering problems. The carrier played no major role in the conduct of Argentine naval- or sea-based air operations against the British during the South Atlantic War. Accounts of British Ministry of Defence documents published in 1984 noted that Britain had authorized its fleet to engage the aircraft carrier as of April 30. On May 5 the carrier was withdrawn from action and returned to port (see The South Atlantic War, this ch.). Ten destroyers were in service with the Argentine Navy in 1985. These included four German-built MEKO-360 H2 destroyers which were launched in the early 1980s, and two British Sheffield-class guided missile destroyers, commissioned in the early 1970s. Destroyers that were previously in service with the United States Navy included one Gearing-class and three Allen M. Sumner-class vessels, all of World War II vintage, that were transferred to Argentina in the early 1970s. In 1984 they were scheduled to be replaced by the MEKO-360s. The Argentine Navy was also in the process of acquiring additional frigates during the mid-1980s. Already in the Argentine fleet were three French-built Type A-69 vessels, two of which entered into service in 1978, and the third, in 1981. The first two ships were specifically acquired in order to augment the Argentine fleet in the face of possible war with Chile over the Beagle Channel. Six MEKO Type 140 A16-class ships were ordered in mid-1979. By 1983 four of the vessels had been launched, and the remaining two were under construction in Argentine shipyards. Most of Argentina's warships were fitted for carrying either the MM-38 or the MM-39 Exocet surface-to-surface missiles. Each carried an average of four missiles; a total of 184 were estimated to have been deployed by late 1984. Other major vessels in service with the Argentine Navy as of early 1984 included five corvettes, all formerly in service with the United States Navy and of World War II vintage; some six fast-attack craft, acquired during the 1970s; and six mine-sweepers previously in service with the British navy. A new tanklanding ship, which would become second in the Argentine Navy's inventory, was ordered in 1982 and, in 1984, was under construction in the Republic of Korea. Various amphibious warfare and hydrographic ships were also in service with he Argentine Navy in the mid-1980s. The three-masted Libertad, built in Argentina, was said to be the world's largest active sailing ship and was used as a sail training vessel. The Argentine fleet's sole icebreaker, used for support in Antarctica, was built by Finland and entered into service in late 1978. It reportedly was used as a hospital ship during the South Atlantic War. Naval Aviation, as the fleet's air arm was called, was founded in 1921 when the first flying boats (seaplanes) and seaplane trainers were acquired by the Argentine Navy. By the mid-1980s the air arm consisted of some 3,000 personnel and counted in its inventory over 50 fixed-wing combat aircraft and at least 10 combat helicopters. Naval air operations were organized into six naval air wings during the early 1980s. The major shore bases from which these wings operated included the Punta del Indio Naval Air Base, the Comandante Espora Naval Air Base, the Almirante Irizar Naval Air Base, and the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires. Naval air operations were also carried out from facilities located at Puerto Belgrano in Buenos Aires Province; Rio Gallegos in Santa Cruz Province; and Ushuaia and Rio Grande, both in the National Territory of Tierra del Fuego; as well as from the aircraft carrier, the 25 de Mayo. During the mid-1980s the navy's air fleet was organized into three attack squadrons-two equipped with a total of about 24 McDonnell Douglas A-4Q Skyhawks and the third, with 14 French-manufactured Dassault-Breguet Super Etendards. The Etendard aircraft were configured for firing the AM-39 Exocet air-to-surface antiship missile, the weapon that struck the British naval destroyer the Sheffield during the South Atlantic War. It was believed that some of the Skyhawks were being fitted in the mid-1980s with the Israeli Gabriel III missiles, which were similar to the French Exocets. The Etendard squadron was hangared at the Comandante Espora Naval Air Base. Close to 30 Exocet missiles were estimated to be in Naval Aviation's inventory in early 1985. Two squadrons equipped for carrying out maritime reconnaissance missions were based at Comandante Espora. One of the squadrons was composed of three Grumman S-2A and six S-2E Trackers that were often assigned for operations from the aircraft carrier. The second squadron was outfitted with seven to nine Lockheed L-188E Electras. A report published in mid-1985 noted that at least two of the L 188s were being modified to carry out electronic intelligence missions. In 1983 the naval air force's two helicopter squadrons were equipped with six Sikorsky SH-3D Sea Kings and were assigned an antisubmarine warfare role, as well as eight or nine Aerospatiale Alouette IIIs and at least two of the Westland/ Aerospatiale-manufactured Sea Lynx. Another six Sea Lynx helicopters were on order at that time. The helicopters' shore command was at the Comandante Espora Naval Air Base, although most were permanently assigned to ships of the surface fleet. Air transports used by the navy included approximately 15 aircraft that made up the general purpose squadrons assigned to various air bases. A special Antarctic squadron, based at Almirante Irizar, was equipped with three Pilatus PC-6 Turbo-Porters and one McDonnell Douglas C-45 transport. In early 1983 the first of some 45 Embraer EMB-325GB Xavante jets were said to have been purchased from Brazil to replace the light attack and training aircraft lost during the South Atlantic War. Shortly after World War II the Argentine marine corps was upgraded from a shore patrol and given amphibious assault responsibilities. In 1968 its official name became the Marine Infantry Corps. By 1983 its size was estimated at some 10,000 men. Most of its personnel were stationed at or near the bases and other installations controlled by the Argentine Navy. In addition to six marine security companies deployed at naval bases throughout the nation, the marine corps personnel were organized into two brigades (sometimes referred to as forces) composed of two or more infantry battalions. There was also a separate amphibious support force that included an amphibious vehicles battalion, a signals battalion, and an antiaircraft regiment. The marine infantry battalion deployed at Rio Grande was specially equipped and trained for cold weather warfare, including service in Antarctica. Among equipment in service with the marines during the mid-1980s were some 30 armored personnel carriers, of which a dozen were the French-built Panhard ERC-90 Lynx model and another six, the Swiss MOWAG Roland. Also counted in its arsenal were several dozen 105mm howitzers, variously sized mortars and recoilless rifles, and some 20 Bantam antitank guided weapons. In addition to 20mm to 35mm antiaircraft guns, the marine corps was reported to have an unspecified number of Blowpipe and at least seven Tigercat surface-to-air missiles. The Argentine Air Force In 1983 the Argentine Air Force was reportedly composed of some 17,000 regular professional troops and another 10,000 conscripts completing their 12 months of obligatory military service. By 1985, although it was believed that the number of professional personnel remained largely unchanged, the number of conscripts serving with the air force nearly dropped by half to 5,500 young men. In March 1985 Major General Ernesto Horacio Crespo, the former commander of Air Operations, was appointed chief of staff of the air force, the second highest-ranking officer in the service. His predecessor, Lieutenant General Teodoro Waldner, was appointed by Alfonsiin as the new head of the armed forces' Joint Chiefs of Staff and was the first air force officer to hold the position. Crespo was known as a staunch nationalist and gained considerable prestige during the South Atlantic War when he coordinated air combat operations against British forces. The commanding headquarters of the Argentine Air Force was located at the Condor Building in northeastern Buenos Aires. In 1985 the service's operations were divided among at least five commands. The most important of these was the air operations command, which was responsible for the force's regional commands and various air bases as well as all flight operations emanating from them. The four other commands included those for personnel, logistics, air force instruction, and materiel. In 1985 these commands were held by colonels and brigadier generals. The country's principal military air facility was El Palomar Air Base in western Buenos Aires, which also served as the headquarters of the first air brigade. Some aircraft belonging to the Argentine president's air fleet were hangared at El Palomar, as were transports belonging to the government-controlled Airlines of the State. The presidential jet, the Tango 1, was kept at the civilian Jorge Newbery Metropolitan Airport. The regional organization of the air force was divided among nine air brigades in the mid-1980s. A tenth brigade, first reported under formation in 1983, had not been established by mid-1985. Apart from El Palomar, other principal air force bases throughout the nation include facilities at Tandil and Moron in Buenos Aires Province; Parana in Entre Rios; Reconquista in Santa Fe Province; Mendoza in Mendoza Province; Villa Reynolds in San Luis; and Comodoro Rivadavia in Chubut. The headquarters of the Argentine Air Force's first Antarctic squadron and the possible site of the tenth brigade was at Rio Gallegos in Santa Cruz. The Argentine Air Forces's four ground-attack/interceptor squadrons evidenced the service's preference for the French-manufactured Mirage fighter. Two of the squadrons were assigned a total of 15 Mirage III-EAs and 22 Mirage III-CJs that were acquired from Dassault-Breguet in 1983. The remaining two squadrons were equipped with nine Mirage 5-Ps, received in 1982, and some 32 of the Israeli Aircraft Industries' Dagger, a model similar in design to the Mirage 5-P. At least six of the Daggers were purchased in 1983. By early 1984 these 78 aircraft were being equipped with aerial refueling probes, reportedly with assistance provided by Israel. The Daggers were also being modified with what was called the Integrated Navigation and Firing System; the designer of the system was not identified. The air force's three ground attack squadrons were reported in early 1984 to be equipped with 54 A-4P Skyhawks manufactured in the United States. Some of the Skyhawks-perhaps as many as 24-were previously in service with the Israeli air to force. In early 1984 Israel sought United States permission to transfer Skyhawks then in its inventory to Argentina. A number of the jets were also reported to have been transferred "amid great secrecy" to Argentina in mid-December 1983, shortly after the United States embargo on military sales to that country was lifted. Reports were vague as to how many of these aircraft were destined for use by the air force; some were believed to be assigned to the navy. Other major aircraft in the air force inventory included a total of eight British-manufactured Canberra B-62s and T-64s, acquired during the early 1970s, which made up the force's single bomber squadron. At least 30 IA-58 Pucaras manufactured by Argentina's state-controlled Military Aircraft Factory (Fabrica Militar de Aviones) comprised two counterinsurgency squadrons. In the mid-1970s these aircraft were employed against antigovernment guerrillas fighting in the northwestern provinces (see The War Against Subversion, this ch.). As of late 1983 an additional 100 of the twin-turboprop aircraft had been ordered by the government. By mid-1984 most of that order was believed to have been filled. A number of Morane-Saulnier MS-760 Paris IIIs, first delivered in the late 1950s and used for counterinsurgency missions and training in the mid-1980s, were being replaced by Argentina's new IA-63 Pampa jet trainer. In mid-1984 the air force had over 60 of the new models on order; deliveries were expected to begin in 1986. The air force's single squadron of attack helicopters, which was used for counterinsurgency, was based at Moron (in Buenos Aires Province). The squadron was composed of at least 12 Hughes 500M Defenders and six Bell UH-1H armed helicopters. Most of the air force's armed helicopters were acquired in the late 1960s and early 1970s when political violence was on the increase. A helicopter squadron used for search-and-rescue missions in mountainous regions was made up of five Aerospatiale SA-315B Lamas. Transports, composing five squadrons, included about 12 Boeing 707s and Lockheed C-130s. Three Lockheed L-100 Hercules were added in 1983. Also included in the transport fleet were at least 12 IA-50 Guarani IIs manufactured in Argentina in the late 1960s. Some Guaranis reportedly were also used for photoreconnaissance missions. The Gates Learjet was also used for aerial reconnaissance. Missiles in the air force inventory included R-530 air-to-air missiles as well as AS-11, AS-12, and Kingfisher air-to-surface missiles. Some of the Mirage 5P fighters were believed to be fitted for Exocets, even though no missiles were officially reported in the service's inventory. Following the South Atlantic War, the air force also acquired a number of French-manufactured Durandal antirunway/antishelter bombs. Paramilitary Forces After the Alfonsin administration assumed office in 1983, plans were implemented to place the nation's two paramilitary forces, the National Gendarmerie and the Argentine Naval Prefecture, under the immediate command and authority of the Ministry of Defense. The Argentine Army commanded the gendarmerie until July 1984. The navy's authority over the prefecture remained in effect until October 1984. The combined size of the forces in the early 1980s was estimated at over 20,000. In 1983 the size of the gendarmerie was estimated at 11,000 to 12,000. The principal mission of the force was that of a border guard, responsible for protecting and patrolling Argentina's territorial frontiers with Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay. The personnel of the gendarmerie were all volunteers and were organized into agrupaciones, described as a level of command between a battalion and a regiment. These formations were in turn subdivided into squadrons, groups, and sections. The three regional commands of the force were headquartered at Rosario, Cordoba, and Bahia Blanca. In the early 1980s a special unit of the gendarmerie-based at the Campo de Mayo army barracks-was prepared for deployment to the Middle East as part of the UN peacekeeping force in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Although the military government decided not to participate in the force, there was speculation in early 1982 that the unit might be sent instead to flight in Central America. Before the South Atlantic War intervened, at least 20 to 30 Argentine Army advisers were training regular personnel from the Guatemalan, Salvadoran, and Honduran armed forces and were providing logistical and economic support to the members of the Nicaraguan Democratic Force, the major counter-revolutionary army fighting against the Nicaraguan government. The major pieces of equipment belonging to the gendarmerie were armored cars and armored personnel carriers, including the M-113s and Rolands, models that were also used by army personnel. The small air wing operated by the gendarmerie was composed of an estimated 20 light aircraft and several helicopters. The 9,000-strong Argentine Naval Prefecture served as a coastal guard and patrol force. Its mission included interdicting contraband, protecting maritime resources within Argentina's 200-nauticaL-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and carrying out search-and-rescue missions at sea. The prefecture was also charged with the regulation of the national ports and with the maintenance of navigational aids. The prefecture's newest equipment included five Spanish-built Halcon-class corvettes that were acquired in the early 1980s, armed with 40mm guns, and used for ocean patrols. The other four large, oceangoing patrol craft were aging vessels that were previously in service with the Argentine Navy. The principal patrol craft used by the prefecture were 17 German-built Z-28-class boats. Some were armed with 20mm guns and were used in the South Atlantic War, during which three were lost. In addition to a tug and a sail training craft, there were also several 95-foot vessels used as coast guard cutters and over a dozen more small patrol craft. The prefecture also operated a small air fleet composed of five fixed-wing transports and nine helicopters.