Armed Forces of Honduras

The Armed Forces of Honduras (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras), consists of the Honduran Army, Honduran Navy and Honduran Air Force.

Armed Forces of Honduras
Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras (Spanish)
Coat of arms of the Honduran Armed Forces
Founded	1825; 200 years ago (1825)
Service branches	Honduran Army Honduran Air Force Honduran Navy
Website	Official website
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Xiomara Castro
Minister of Defence	Rixi Moncada
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff	GEN Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar
Personnel
Military age	18 for voluntary 2–3-year service
Available for military service	1,868,940[1] males, age 16–49, 1,825,770 (2008 est.) females, age 16–49
Fit for military service	1,397,938 males, age 16–49, 1,402,398 (2009 est.) females, age 16–49
Reaching military age annually	92,638 males, 88,993 (2009 est.) females
Active personnel	52,225[2]
Expenditure
Budget	$405,000,000[3]
Percent of GDP	1.1% as of 2012[3]
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Brazil  Canada  Czech Republic  France  India  Indonesia  Israel  Italy  Japan  South Korea  Mexico  Taiwan  United Kingdom  United States
Related articles
Ranks	Military ranks of Honduras

History

Early republican era

The Armed Forces of Honduras were created through article 44, subsection 4 of the First Constitution of the Legislative Chamber in 1825, with the First Supreme Head of State being the Attorney Dionisio de Herrera, for which, they ordered the effective birth of the Honduran army in dated December 11, 1825 and for its greater mobility, it was divided into battalions with the name of each of the seven departments Comayagua the capital, Tegucigalpa, Choluteca, Olancho, Yoro, Gracias and Santa Bárbara that were in charge of strategically and tactically covering order and defense of the state, under French military doctrine. In 1831 the Military School was created with a seat at the San Francisco Barracks, and Colonel Narciso Benítez of Colombian origin was appointed director; From this school graduated: Francisco Morazán, José Antonio Márquez, Diego Vigil, Liberato Moncada, Joaquín Rivera and José Santos Guardiola who were presidents of Honduras, among others.

The first weaponry used was flintlock and gunpowder, the product of mixing sulfur, saltpeter, and coal in relative quantities: the Remington single-load rifle was one of the first bullet rifles that were introduced into the country during the government of General José María Medina.

Mid 19th centrury

The second stage of the Armed Forces is between the years 1842 and 1876 when the collective uniform emerged in the mid-1840s when the troops of General José Santos Guardiola faced those of General Nicolás Ángulo, in 1845 in the " Combate del Obrajuelo ", in San Miguel, El Salvador.

In 1865 the first attempt was made to organize a Naval Force with its respective regulations; however, the cost of this service made it unsustainable; However, there were several attempts to reactivate the idea and one of them was carried out by Doctor Policarpo Bonilla, who ordered the construction of the Tatumbla steamship in the Kiel shipyard, Germany on November 22, 1895, and then in 1896 respectively, General Manuel Bonilla had the 'Hornet built. While he administered Honduras, the Doctor and General Don Tiburcio Carias Andino also ordered the construction of the steamers Búfalo and El Tigre. On January 1, 1881, the first Military Code of the Honduran army was issued, a legal instrument to govern its own organization.

20th century

During the twentieth century, Honduran military leaders frequently became presidents, either through elections or by coups d'état. General Tiburcio Carías Andino was elected in 1932, he later on called a constituent assembly that allowed him to be reelected, and his rule became more authoritarian until an election in 1948.

During the following decades, the military of Honduras carried out several coups d'état, starting in October 1955. General Oswaldo López Arellano carried out the next coup in October 1963 and a second in December 1972, followed by coups in 1975 by Juan Alberto Melgar Castro and in 1978 by Policarpo Paz García.

1980s

Events during the 1980s in El Salvador and Nicaragua led Honduras – with US assistance – to expand its armed forces considerably, laying particular emphasis on its air force, which came to include a squadron of US-provided F-5s.

The military unit Battalion 316 carried out political assassinations and the torture of suspected political opponents of the government during this same period. Battalion members received training and support from the United States Central Intelligence Agency, in Honduras, at U.S. military bases^[4] and in Chile during the presidency of the dictator Augusto Pinochet.^[5] Amnesty International estimated that at least 184 people "disappeared" from 1980 to 1992 in Honduras, most likely due to actions of the Honduran military.^[6]

1990s

The resolution of the civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and across-the-board budget cuts made in all ministries, has brought reduced funding for the Honduran Armed Forces. The abolition of the draft has created staffing gaps in the now all-volunteer armed forces. The military is now far below its authorized strength, and further reductions are expected. In January 1999, the Constitution was amended to abolish the position of military Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, thus codifying civilian authority over the Military.

2000s

Since 2002, soldiers have been involved in crime prevention and law enforcement, patrolling the streets of the major cities alongside the national police.

2009

Main articles: 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis and Human rights in Honduras § Roberto Micheletti de facto presidency

On 28 June 2009, in the context of a constitutional crisis, the Military, acting on orders of the Supreme Court of Justice, arrested the President Manuel Zelaya, after which they forcibly removed elected President Zelaya from Honduras. See the article 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis regarding claims regarding legitimacy and illegitimacy of the event, and events preceding and following the removal of Zelaya from Honduras.

The military's chief lawyer, Colonel Herberth Bayardo Inestroza Membreño, made public statements regarding the removal of Zelaya. On June 30, he showed a detention order, apparently signed June 26 by a Supreme Court judge, which ordered the armed forces to detain the president.^[7] Colonel Inestroza later stated that deporting Zelaya did not comply with the court order: "In the moment that we took him out of the country, in the way that he was taken out, there is a crime. Because of the circumstances of the moment this crime occurred, there is going to be a justification and cause for acquittal that will protect us."^[8] He said the decision was taken by the military leadership "in order to avoid bloodshed".^[9]

Following the 2009 ouster of the president, the Honduran military together with other government security forces were allegedly responsible for thousands of allegedly arbitrary detentions^[10] and for several forced disappearances and extrajudicial executions of opponents to the de facto government, including members of the Democratic Unification Party. However, evidence about these actions has yet to be provided and there has been some questioning in local media about the actual perpetrators, suggesting that they could actually be related to disputes within the leftists organizations themselves.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Army

Main article: Honduran Army

The Honduran Army (Spanish: Ejército de Honduras, lit. 'Army of Honduras') is the land service branch of the Armed Forces of Honduras.

• 101st Brigade in Choluteca
• 105th Brigade in San Pedro Sula
• 110th Brigade in Danli
• 115th Brigade in Juticalpa
• 120th Brigade in Santa Rosa de Copan

Air Force

Main article: Honduran Air Force

The FAH operates from four air bases located at:

• Hernan Acosta Mejia Air Base at Tegucigalpa
• Soto Cano Air Base at Comayagua,^[17]
• Armando Escalon Espinal Air Base at La Lima, Cortés
• Hector Caraccioli Moncada at La Ceiba.

With the exception of Soto Cano Air Base, all other air bases operate as dual civil and military aviation facilities.

Additionally, three air stations are located at:

• Catacamas
• Alto Aguán (bomb range)
• Puerto Lempira airstrips serve as forward operations locations-FOL.

Also a radar station operates at:

• La Mole peak.

Navy

Main article: Honduran Navy

The Navy is a small force dealing with coastal and riverine security.

The Navy has 71 patrol boats, interceptors and landing craft units.

Class	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Fleet
ISRAEL SHIPYARDS Sa'ar 62-class offshore patrol vessel 62.0 meters / 204 feet	Israel	Ocean patrol vessel	OPV-62M	1	FNH-2021 General Trinidad Cabañas Delivered by Israel Shipyard and arrived in country December 2019
Damen Stan Patrol Boat 42.8 meters / 140 feet	Netherlands	Coastal patrol vessel	4207	2	FNH-1401 Lempira FNH-1402 General Francisco Morazán
LANTANA BOATYARD Guardian Patrol Boats 32.3 meters / 107 feet	United States	Coastal patrol craft		3	FNH-1071 Tegucigalpa[18] FNH-1072 Copán FNH-1073 unknown name
SWIFTSHIPS Patrol Boats 32.0 meters / 105 feet	United States	Coastal patrol craft		3	FNH-1051 Guaymuras FNH-1052 Honduras FNH-1053 Hibueras
IAI Dabur Type Patrol Boat 26.0 meters / 85 feet	Israel  United States	Coastal patrol craft		1	FNH-8501 Chamelecón
SWIFTSHIPS Patrol Boats 20.0 meters / 65 feet	United States	Coastal patrol craft		5	FNH 6501 Nacaome FNH 6502 Goascorán FNH 6503 Patuca FNH 6504 Ulúa FNH 6505 Choluteca
BOSTON WHALER Interceptors BW370 11.4 meters / 38 feet	United States	Interceptor boat	Guardian class	10	N/A
DAMEN Interceptors 1102 UHS 11.0 meters / 36 feet	Netherlands	Interceptor boat	1102 UHS	6	FNH-3601 to FNH-3606
SAFE BOATS 35MMI Multi Misión Interceptor 10.7 meters / 35 feet	Colombia  United States	Interceptor boat	35 MMI	2[19]	FNH-3501 FNH-3502
EDUARDOÑO Patrullero 320 10.0 meters / 32 feet	Colombia	Interceptor boat		25	FNH-3201 to FNH-3225
NAPCO Piraña Patrol Boats 4.0 meters / 13 feet	United States	Riverine ops boat	Piraña class	8
LANTANA BOATYARD Landing Craft Unit 45.5 meters / 149 feet	United States	Coastal transport		1	FNH-1491 Punta Caxinas
COTECMAR BAL-C Short Range Logistic Support Ship 49.0 meters / 161 feet	Colombia	Short Range Logistic Support Ship	BAL-C	1	FNH-1611 Gracias a Dios[20][21][22]
SWIFTSHIPS LCM-8 Landing Craft Unit 22.9 meters / 75 feet	United States	Landing craft		3	FNH-7301 Warunta FNH-7302 Rio Coco FNH-7303 unknown name

The Honduran navy has 4 naval bases:

• Base Naval Puerto Cortés – main repair and logistics base on the Caribbean Sea
• Base Naval Puerto Castilla – main operating base of patrol boats on the Caribbean Sea
• Base Naval Amapala – main operating base of coastal patrol craft on the north end of the island and only base on the Pacific Ocean side of Honduras
• Base Naval Caratasca – new base to deal with drug trafficking

Additionally, the Honduran navy has the following unit and schools:

• 1st. Marine Infantry Battalion – only marine unit located at La Ceiba
• Honduras Naval Academy – Trains officers for the Honduras Navy at La Ceiba
• Naval Training Center – NCO and Sailor training facility

Military-civilian relations and leadership

According to a statement in July 2009 by a legal counsel of the Honduras military, Colonel Herberth Bayardo Inestroza, part of the elite Honduran Military generals were opposed to President Manuel Zelaya, whom the Military had removed from Honduras via a military Coup d'état, because of his left-wing politics. Inestroza stated, "It would be difficult for us [the military], with our training, to have a relationship with a leftist government. That's impossible."^[8]

The current Head of the Armed Forces is Carlos Antonio Cuéllar, graduate of the General Francisco Morazan Military Academy and the School of the Americas. In January 2011, the General Rene Arnoldo Osorio Canales, former Head of the Presidential Honor Guard, was appointed Commander.

As of 2012 the Honduran Military has the highest military expenditures of all Central America. They have 52,225 troops in their Army, they have 16,500 troops in their Air Force, and 5,300 troops in their Navy.^{[citation needed]}

Equipment

Small arms

Name	Image	Caliber	Type	Origin	Notes
Pistols
M1911		.45 ACP	Semi-automatic pistol	United States
Browning Hi-Power[23]		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Belgium
Beretta 92		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Italy
Beretta 93R[23]		9×19mm	Machine pistol	Italy
SIG Sauer P226		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Switzerland
CZ-75[24]		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Submachine guns
Uzi[23]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	Israel	Uzi and Mini-Uzi
MAC-10[23]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	United States
Heckler & Koch MP5[25]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	West Germany
Rifles
AR-M1[24]		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Bulgaria
IMI Galil		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Israel
IWI Galil ACE[26]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Israel
IWI Tavor[27]		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle	Israel
IWI Tavor X95[28]		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle	Israel
Beretta AR70/90[29]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Italy
M16A1[30]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	United States
M4		5.56×45mm	Carbine Assault rifle	United States
T65		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Taiwan
FN SCAR		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Belgium
FN FAL[23]		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	Belgium
M14[31]		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	United States
Machine guns
Browning M2[23]		.50 BMG	Heavy machine gun	United States
M60[23]		7.62×51mm	General-purpose machine gun	United States
FN MAG[23]		7.62×51mm	General-purpose machine gun	Belgium
Sniper and anti-materiel rifles
Remington M700		.223 Remington	Sniper rifle	United States
M21		7.62×51mm	Sniper rifle	United States
Barrett M82		.50 BMG	Anti-materiel rifle	United States
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-7[23]		40mm	Rocket-propelled grenade	Soviet Union
Grenade launchers
M203[23]		40×46mm SR	Grenade launcher	United States
M79[23]		40×46mm	Grenade launcher	United States

Anti-tank weapons

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
M40A1[32]		Recoilless rifle	United States	105mm	50 in service.
Carl Gustav[33]		Recoilless rifle	Sweden	84mm

Tanks

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
FV101 Scorpion		Light tank	United Kingdom	19
FV107 Scimitar		Light tank	United Kingdom	3

Reconnaissance

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
RBY Mk 1		Reconnaissance vehicle	Israel	8[34]
Alvis Saladin		Armored car	United Kingdom	40[35]

Armored personnel carriers

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
FV105 Sultan		Armored personnel carrier	United Kingdom	1

Utility vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
Humvee		Light utility vehicle	United States	30
M151[36]		Utility vehicle	United States	Unknown
KM420		Utility vehicle	South Korea	Unknown
Trucks
KM250		Utility truck	South Korea	Unknown		South Korean derivative of M35
KM450		Utility truck	South Korea	Unknown		South Korean derivative of M715
Tatra Force		Utility truck	Czech Republic	Unknown
M35[36]		Utility truck	United States	Unknown
M54[36]		Utility truck	United States	Unknown
Ashok Leyland Stallion[37]		Utility truck	India	110
Ashok Leyland Topchi[37]		Utility truck	India	28

Artillery

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
Mortars
M1[38]		Mortar	United States	200
M29[38]		Mortar	United States	200
Soltam M-65[39]		Mortar	Israel	30
Soltam M-66[39]		Mortar	Israel	30
Field artillery
M198[40]		Howitzer	United States	12
M101		Howitzer	United States	20

Air defence systems

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
M167 VADS		Rotary cannon	United States	30

See also

• Honduran presidential plane