Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Capital: Managua

Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN)- Sandinista Front for National Liberation.

The FSLN came into power in 1979 after fighting a bloody civil war against the U.S. backed Somoza government forces.

After the FSLN came into power, the U.S. trained the Contra guerrillas to fight against the communist FSLN.

The FSLN lost power in 1990 after a national referendum and democratic elections.

FSLN leader Daniel Ortega was elected as president in 2006.

Armed Forces of Nicaragua

Fuerzas Armadas de Nicaragua

14,000 personnel?

The Armed Forces of Nicaragua have been significantly downsized since 1990.

Russia donated 6 field hospitals to Nicaragua in 2012.

Air Force

Fuerza Aerea de Nicaragua

An-26 transport aircraft

Aermacchi SF.260 trainer/light attack aircraft

An-2 utility aircraft

Piper Cherokee utility aircraft

Cessna 337 utility aircraft

Cessna 421 utility aircraft

Cessna 172 utility aircraft

Cessna T-41 Mescalero trainer aircraft

Mi-24 attack helicopters ?

CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters

Mi-17 transport helicopters

Mi-8 transport helicopters

Mi-2 utility helicopters

Super Mystere fighter aircraft retired from service in 1996.

Much of the listed equipment is not serviceable. All are in small numbers (under 10)

Conflicting data on types of aircraft and amount of aircraft..

Nicaraguan Army Naval Force

Fuerza Naval- Ejercito Nicaragua (FN-EN)

Around 800 personnel?

The Sandinista navy's mission was to deter Contra rebel and CIA maritime operations.

The Sandinistas purchased a number of Mine Sweepers and patrol boats after the CIA led Contra rebel attack and destruction of diesel storage facilities at Corinto in 1983 and the mining of Nicaraguan harbors in 1984.

Patrol Boats (18+)
Small Patrol Boats

Mine Warfare vessels (10)

Coastal Artillery

BS-3 (M1944) towed 100mm guns

Anti-aircraft weapons

ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns

Navy blue berets

Blue camouflage uniforms

DP-61 anti-saboteur grenade launchers

Combat Divers

2 Molniya M Class (Project 12411) missile boats on order from Russia?

With either 3M80 Moskit (SS-N-22 Sunburn) or 3M24 Uran (SS-N-25 Switchblade) anti-ship missiles, Igla-1M surface-to-air missiles, AK-176 gun and two AK-630 guns.

Army

T-72B tanks (20)?

T-55 tanks (136)

T-54 tanks (20)
BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles

PT-76 light tanks (22)

M4 Sherman medium tanks (decommissioned)

BTR-60 armored personnel carriers (82)

BTR-152 armored personnel carriers (120)
BTR-50 armored personnel carriers

M2 Half Track (decommissioned)

BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles (90)

BRDM-1 armored reconnaissance vehicles (80)

Jeeps

Land Rover Defenders

Tank destroyers

BRDM-2 with AT-3 anti-tank missiles (12)

M-160 160mm mortars

Soltam M-65 120mm mortars

M-43 120mm mortars

81mm mortars

60mm mortars

BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles

AT-3 anti-tank guided missiles

B-11 107mm recoilless guns

M40 106mm recoilless guns

M67 90mm recoilless guns

B-10 82mm recoilless guns

M20 75mm recoilless guns

M18 57mm recoilless guns

RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers

M-72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers

AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers

M-79 grenade launchers

DShK heavy machine guns

M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns

PKM machine guns

M-60 machine guns

FN MAG machine guns

RPD machine guns

RPK light machine guns

M40A1 sniper rifles

Dragunov SVD sniper rifles

AKM assault rifles

AKMS assault rifles

AK-47 assault rifles

AK-74 assault rifles

Galil assault rifles

FN FAL assault rifles

M-16 assault rifles

G-3 assault rifles

Czech Vz 52

Czech Vz 57

SKS carbines

Remington 700 shotguns

Ithaca Model 37 shotguns

HK MP5 sub-machine guns

Uzi sub-machine guns

Mini Uzi sub-machine guns

PPsh-41 sub-machine guns

Glock 17 pistols

Jericho 941 pistols

Smith and Wesson Mod 10 .38 caliber

BM-21 Grad 122mm multiple rocket launchers (30)

Type 63 107mm multiple rocket launchers (33)

Grad-1P single fired tube 122mm rockets (100)

ZiS-2 towed 57mm anti-tank gun (354)?

ZiS-3 towed 76mm gun (85)

BS-3 towed 100mm field gun (24)

D-20 towed 152mm howitzer (60)

D-30 towed 122mm howitzer (67)

M1938 towed 122mm howitzer (24)

Air Defense

SA-8 Gecko surface-to-air missiles

SA-9 Gaskin surface-to-air missiles

SA-16 Gimlet shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

SA-14 Gremlin shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

FIM-92 Stinger shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

SA-7 Grail shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

FIM-43 Redeye shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

ZSU-57-2 self propelled 57mm anti-aircraft guns

ZSU-23-4 self propelled 23mm anti-aircraft guns

KS-19 towed 100mm anti-aircraft guns

S-60 towed 57mm anti-aircraft guns

ZU-23-2 towed 23mm anti-aircraft guns

Hispano Suiza HS 404 towed 2x20mm anti-aircraft guns

M45 (Four .50 caliber machine guns)

ZPU-4 anti-aircraft guns

ZPU-2 anti-aircraft guns

ZPU-1 anti-aircraft guns

Special Forces

Red berets?

Black berets?

COE? Comandos de Operaciones Especiales?

Policia Nacional

Brigadas Especiales Policia National

DOEP

Direccion de Operaciones Especiales Policiales

Police Special Forces

Tacticas de Armas Policiales de Intervencion y Rescute (TAPIR)

Intelligence

Armed Forces of Nicaragua Pictures